The Way
by Twisted Fate MK 2
Summary: Ever since the fall of the Covenant, the Arbiter has sought one thing. A path to redeem himself of his past sins. Waking up on a strange world does nothing to change that goal. Though it does add some complications to it, in the form of the bestial Grimm and strange children. But if the gods wish him here, then he shall see their desires through.
1. Awakening

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_**Ze Nope Rope, **_**Kaiser Snek, Snekiest Snek**

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His sense of smell was the first to return to him, bringing with it the scent of burning neolaminate metal, scorched flesh, and the distant tinge of burnt methane. All were tragically familiar scents to him, as was the pinched tightness and pain in his side that helped draw him back to fuller consciousness. Amber eyes cracked open as, groaning, he pulled his limbs under him and made to rise, grunting as the pain in his side lanced through him and forced the breath from his lungs.

Collapsing under the weight of neolaminate hull, he groaned and forced himself to rise more slowly, running a hand down his chest. Swiftly he found the ragged end of hull that had punched through a slight gap between his Kaidon plate. With the same hand he found the other end, punched through from behind and attached to the metal on top of him. Groaning, he forced himself up again and held himself there, drawing his energy sword and moving the projector behind him carefully, before taking a deep breath. With a hiss of plasma, melting metal and burning flesh, his sword flicked to life and he had to fight to stifle a howl of pain. A fight that was also sadly familiar.

And one he nearly lost, much to his own chagrin.

This time when he rose, he lifted the metal decking and let it fall behind him, standing in the collapsed Phantom and looking around. The craft, being his personal one, was empty of troops aside from the Arbiter himself, the hold was thankfully empty of fallen warriors. The pilots, though, he knew to be dead, the front third of the ship crushed into the ground so deeply and surely that it anchored the craft's rear up in the air, laid on one side where the other exit had been similarly crushed. He could see evidence of burning plasma and electrical fire scorched along the hull, but smelled and felt blessedly little heat, and so knew the fires had died out for whatever reason.

"At least the path forward is a simple one to find… And not barred by plasma fires, for that matter." He murmured, turning and hauling himself up and forwards, towards the other door.

Pulling himself over it he dropped the several feet and grunted as he did, pressing a hand to his bloodied side. At the very least it wasn't bleeding any longer, cauterised by the heat of his sword. So as painful as it was, he at least knew he wasn't at any risk of _dying_ at the moment. And dying a death that was simultaneously most dishonorable and wasteful, and almost amusingly innocuous. He'd fought for years, first against the Humans and then later against the Covenant, and faced down both the Parasite and the might of the Jiralhanae, so the idea he'd bleed out from a simple _crash_ amused him slightly.

A most macabre amusement, to be sure, but an amusement nonetheless.

"But where is it that I might have found my ignoble end?" Looking around, it seemed like a simple forest, and from first glance a quite Earth-like one.

Tall, thick, green leafed trees surrounded him with wide spaces between and short, thickly grown shrubs beneath. Several he saw sported fruits, like little red balls that he recognized as being 'apples'. A distinctly Human fruit he had himself tried, on one occasion, and found to be rather enjoyable, if a bit small and tart.

"But I cannot be on the Human homeworld, it is far from Sanghelios." He murmured in quiet disbelief, standing in spite of his soreness and resting a hand on his blade. The only weapon he had on him, sadly enough. Activating his communicator he barked a sharp order, "Swords of Sanghelios, hear me. My shuttle has gone down in what appears to be a temperate forest. Reasons unknown. Respond."

No answer came and, after a full minute of patient waiting, and so he sighed and turned from his ruined craft.

By now in his life, he knew and had learned the lesson that waiting got one nowhere. Any aid coming his way would easily be able to find him elsewhere. No, what came to a warrior aimlessly waiting on rescue rather than acting on his own accord was death. Or dishonor and defeat, at the least, though that only meant death by a more familiar hand. Most likely, his own.

Instead he rose to his full height and turned slow circle, searching the world around him - land, soil, trees, sky, all - for a sign of his way forward. Mundane or divine, any sign would do, and swiftly he found one. In the distance, just barely discernible above the sprawling tree-line, he saw black smoke billowing in half a dozen pillars that climbed into the sky like the fingers of some dark beast, choking the sun that glowed in its fingers. As though whatever shadow cast it wished to strangle the light of the day.

Closing his eyes and ignoring the aching in the back of his skull, he listed as closely as he could.

Distantly, he heard gunfire and… Something altogether more bestial, and, of all things, _cawing_. What could be so loudly _cawing_ he had no idea, and even the roars sounded like they held too little base to be Brutes. Regardless, the sounds of battle were clear, and if this was Earth that would mean that the Humans were in danger. And he was honor bound, after all he had done, to aid them if they were in such danger.

They were also, quite coincidentally, his sole hope to return home and discover how precisely he and his craft had been brought here. But that advantage was completely out of his mind, to be sure.

But it was, as his Human allies would so often say, 'a win-win situation'.

His head was throbbing and likely bruised and his side was _certainly_ so, alongside the puncture wound, but his legs functioned just as fine as they always had. And so he loped towards the smoke, and travelled as directly as he could manage. He leapt over thin rivers and creaks, wound through hilly, overgrown woodland, anything he could do to speed his journey towards the endangered Humans. At first, he had to strain to hear the distant echoes, but soon enough they were so loud he couldn't escape them. The trees were dense, though, so even as the sound approached he could see next to nothing but leaves, wood and shrubbery.

That was, until he burst from the trees onto an old, wide, and clearly very _Human_ road. He'd recognize the same grey stone - asphalt if he recalled - anywhere after the Battle at Voi.

To his left, the road stretched on through the forest until it all faded into a wash of green and brown. The grey of the road was lost in it, the colors were so vibrant. To his right he found he saw orange and black first. Fire and smoke. And behind it, the Human settlement, such as it was in what he could see of its state, broken and burning, and swarmed by dark shapes he could barely make out. One stood tall and in the middle of the road, roaring and head back, bestial body bowed backwards in its feral display. Of dominance

"Brute…" He'd recognize the ape-like shape anywhere, even if it seemed armored in an all-together different way from what he was used to. Spiky and what looked to be white, and so heavy that when it leaned forward it seemed to be walking as much on its arms as its legs.

"_No matter, in the end."_ He chided himself, drawing his sword and watching the orange glow expand powerfully. _Threateningly_. It echoed of an ancient, storied past, and he saw a reason to add to that story as he turned back to the village. "_Billions of innocents lost by my hand… Ordered by the younger half of this blade, or fallen upon it."_

Taking another step on his path for atonement, he loped forward, sword held off to the side and humming as he went.

He crossed the hundred yards in less than a minute and loose a roar, cutting through black fur and white armor like a plasma sword through butter. He heard the thing snarl in pain as its severed arm fell aside and spun with practiced ease, burying the plasma-blade to the hilt in its chest and wrenching it up through its face so quickly he couldn't even discern its features before they were disfigured.

Limp, it fell back and he turned at the sensation of muscle, body tensing as another oddly armored and shaped Brute leapt for him with might fists drawn up to crush and a bestial roar to frighten. His reaction was faster, though, and he leapt to the side in time to feel naught but the air from the blows, like a breeze along his back. Its great fists punched down where he'd been regardless, turning the stone to dust that filtered into the wind but he ignored it wholly as he lunged.

Lacking its head, it fell limp across its fellow, the Arbiter only then registering that the dust was not dust. But _smoke_, rising from the two Brutes' bodies before him as he straightened. He noted that and then, almost in the same moment, he grunted as the sound of a rifle cracked the air and his shields sparked. Turning slowly, he met eyes with a young woman in red and black, holding a blocky rifle at her waist and watching him with wide, frightened eyes.

"_No."_ He corrected himself, slowly lowering his hands and letting the plasma of his sword die, so as to pose less of a threat. "_I see surprise there, not fear."_

The child was half his size, armed with a rifle that had sparked off his shields, and seen him best two creatures he knew little of. And yet, in spite of even some of the bravest Humans he'd met balking at the sight of him in full regalia and with his blade glowing, she was unafraid of him. Only… _Surprised_.

"_A warrior…"_ And more. Even the Spartan occasionally flinched at his presence, though such was less for fear and more for apprehension at the cause of old wounds.

"What…?" The girl seemed lost for words but, seeing him stand down, she did so as well. Eyes confused and brow furrowed, she shook her head and asked, quietly, "What _are_ you?"

"_What, not who? Strange…_" He thought before answering simply, "I am the Arbiter, Thel Vadamee. Leader of the Swords of Sanghelios, slayer of Truth, wielder of the Prophet's Bane and ally of the Demon."

"Wow, uh…" The girl blinked, still surprised but quickly collecting herself, "That's a lot of titles. So can I call you Mister Thel or-"

"The Arbiter will suffice, child." Though he felt the echo of amusement filter through him as he looked around.

The village, no more than a dozen dwellings, was far less ablaze than he had thought. It was broken and smoking, to be sure, but where he'd thought he saw fire he now discerned to be covered in orange leaves that sprouted from spindling vines. It made up a mostly ruined wall and gate, through which he could see more ruined buildings. A breeze blew and they shifted, looking for all the world like they were the blaze he had thought he had seen. Set by what he had assumed to be Brutes.

He snorted suddenly and the girl flinched at the, to her ears, harsh and sudden sound. Shaking his head he waved her off and apologized, "Amusement borne of my own thoughts. Nothing more."

"Okay, well, Arbiter what- Grimm!"

He spun on her word as a great beast descended on them, feline claws ripping up concrete as he leapt aside and lit his blade. Its tail lashed out, hissing snake head glaring with beady red eyes, but it fared no better in striking him. It never got a second chance, severed by the scythe spinning in the child's hand on his left side as the beast roared.

"I got the wings." The girl called before vanishing in a flurry of rose petals, disappearing and leaving him to contend with the beast.

Leaping, the Grimm, as she had called it, snarled and snapped at him. He backpedaled easily and cut across its face, scoring a deep cut through its armored face that had it snarling and backing away in pain. Just as the girl landed atop it, appearing as though she'd been contained in the little ball of petals. Her scythe sang as she spun, severing a great wing as the beast roared and he saw his own opportunity.

Leaping forward as it bucked, he punched his blade forward and buried it to the hilt in the juncture between throat and shoulder. It seized for a moment, wheezing as he burrowed into its lungs, and finally fell. Its own weight pulled the plasma blade through it and, with an eep, forced the girl to leap aside to avoid being cut.

"My team and I were assigned to clear out the village." The girl explained once she'd landed, stepping in between him and the creature he was watching dissolve into ash. He met her eyes and she planted the base of her scythe beside her, nodding, "We could use your help, Arbiter. There's Lien and a meal in it for you, at least."

"Hm." he had no idea what 'Lien' was, but food sounded fine enough at the moment. Instead of taking her offer, though, he gestured at the area around them, "I will hold this place, and take my payment in answers when you return to me."

"But-"

"It would be foolish to fight beside strangers against creatures I do not know." He grunted simply, turning his back to her and igniting his blade. Brooking no room for argument, he grunted a parting, "Fare well in your coming battles, child."

"I- okay, I guess?" In spite of the confusion she seemed to understand how staunch he was in his decision and left, her feet pattering away.

Soon, he heard a far more near crack of a rifle as she found her next fight. A moment later he heard a growl and turned as a large, lupine creature stepped out of the woods. Blade humming, he turned to it and slid a foot back, raising the sword and propping it with his other hand. When the creature, feral and dumb, lunged for him he stepped forward and knelt, swiping above him and bisecting the beast.

"Like animals, rushing headlong into danger with not a thought for their own safety." Like the Brutes, in a way, and the comparison kept him from growing into arrogance as another of the wolves came to bay at the door.

It fared no better but, he knew, would soon be replaced.

It felt like an hour passed before the Grimm tide ebbed, his sword arm aching familiarly and his wounded side burning. When it did, though, he sighed and let himself collapse onto the convenient seat offered by a chunk of the fallen gate. The hand he pressed to is side came away dry, thankfully, but he knew that was utter chance. He ought to have started to bleed again from such fighting.

A sign of the gods, he supposed, that he had not.

"Yes, I'm sure he's not a Faunus!" He heard the girl from before complain, alongside four sets of footsteps. Her team, he presumed, standing beside the gate and turning to it as their voices closed on him, "Look, see he's-" she blinked as she turned and found him, looming over her and sending her sprawling back in surprise, "Ack, right here!"

"I am."

"Why?!" She demanded loudly, gesturing theatrically at him with her arms. "Why are you _right there_!?"

"I was sitting, child." he answered amusedly, turning his sharp gaze on the three young women with him. Each was oddly armed and brightly colored, as though the gods had color coded them by hand. One, though, was an oddity among the oddities. "You have… Feline ears."

"I- What did you just-"

"Yeah, and you're… Scaly." The blonde retorted, scowling and stepping between him and the feline woman. He gave them botha wide eyed look and took a step back, but the blonde followed, looking him up and down. "And you look like a Solstice ornament and a dinosaur had a kid, shipped it off to be laminated, and it came back with an obsession with anime characters who like swords too damn much."

"I… Understood most of those words." He blinked, looking to the other woman and clenching his mandibles. Hoping to make peace, he bowed his head ever so slightly and offered, "I meant no offence. I have… Simply never seen any of your kind with such appendages."

"Yeah, and how many people have you met?"

"Thousands, though few of those offered their names." If one counted those he ordered bombarded or hunted down, then it would be billions.

"Maaaaybe we should try this whole 'meeting' thing again, okay, guys?" The young woman from earlier offered, stepping between the blonde and him and physically pushing them apart. Looking first to him, she raised her eyebrows and asked simply, "Maybe you should introduce yourself."

"I already did."

"Yeah, but…" She smiled and bounced back on her heels, hands held up in mock surrender as she did. "I kind of forgot most of it 'cuz I was fighting Grimm. Aaaand you can say it to everyone now."

"I see." That was… Well, not truly _reasonable_, but an understandable enough excuse that he let it go. And besides, she was right in that this allowed formal introductions. Bowing his head slightly to that end, he intoned somberly, "I am the Arbiter, Thel Vadamee. Slayer of Truth, Kaidon of Vadam Keep and ruler and leader of the Swords of Sanghelios, wielder of Prophet's Bane."

"That's… A lot of titles there, big guy." The blonde murmured, earning a large nod and a bright 'I know, right?' from the small red one.

"I earned them all, child." And more titles he did not like to give out as easily, such as 'The Destroyer', a moniker bestowed upon him by his once enemies the UNSC.

"Sure you did, big guy." The woman nodded, still affronted at his earlier surprise but seeming to force herself past it. Taking a breath, she offered her hand, gleaming metal armor clicking and clinking as she did. "Name's Yang Xiao Long."

Gently for fear of harming the smaller Humans he took their hands in turn and nodded as they introduced themselves. On the last, his mandibles clicked interestedly, "White Snow? Are you, what was the name… Ah. Are you perhaps German then?"

"I'm… Sorry?" The small woman murmured, confused eyes flicking between his eyes, unsure of where to look. A normal problem, and one he had long since ceased taking offence to. Pulling her hand free, she answered, "I don't know what a 'German' is, Arbiter. I'm Atlesian."

"Hm." Atlesian, not German. His memory may have failed him, he supposed, but he could have sword he'd heard the language and name from his Human allies. Odd, but so was a lot at the moment. Instead, he let the questions go and asked, hoping as much to learn as to distract from his earlier offences, "What were those creatures, though, my small friends? I have never seen anything of their ken."

"You've never seen a Grimm?" The blonde grunts, surprise etched in her form and her face. Chuckling, she shook her head and cocked her hips, eyes narrow and watching him, "Where on Remnant are you from? You aren't Human, that's for sure-"

"Or any kind of Faunus I've ever seen."

"Right, thanks, Blake." The Blonde held out her armored hand and the Faunus slapped it with her own, as though congratulating her. "And you don't even know what the Grimm are? Everyone on Remnant knows the Grimm and-"

"I am from Sanghelios, not any planet called 'Remnant'." He interrupted with a grunt, the blonde woman blinking at the statement. Seeing the similar states of shock on the faces of the others, the warrior grumbled and prompted them, "You… Know of Sanghelios, do you not? All Humans ought to."

"Remnant is the name of our _planet_, though." Weiss murmured, giving her team looks as she did. They merely shrugged unsurely and so she asked what to him seemed the most pressing question, "Are you… Not from this planet?"

"But aren't aliens a myth?"

"Explain how else he looks so strange, then, Yang. Or how he doesn't know what a Grimm is, or a _Faunus._ One would be unbelievably and two certainly is so." Weiss challenged in quick, quiet counter. When she offered nothing, the girl turned and, offhandedly added, "As though aliens would be the strangest discovery we've made in recent days, what with Oscar and his… Condition."

"I am indeed from another world, young warrior." And _that_ statement felt more accurate than would otherwise be the case, he found. For his aching side he retook his seat, but he found swiftly that it mattered little. He was still taller than anyone here. "I am from the planet Sanghelios, where I make my home. I was above it, and now find myself here, speaking with you."

"OhmygosharealalienisstandinginfrontofyouRubyactcool…" Ruby murmured blinking when she caught herself and coughing into her fist, trying her very damndest to seem well put together and collected. "Well, uh, welcome to Remnant! I… Hope you enjoy your stay, I guess? Our, uh, planet is awesome, promise."

"You sound like you work for a tourist agency…"

"Your planet does seem… Interesting, in its way." He gave a nod to their old, broken surroundings as he spoke. Ruby smiled and he nodded his head to her, in turn, and added, "As do its people. I have never seen Humans display your ability to move, young one. Even on their home world."

"I mean, s'just my Semblance." She shrugged and then blinked as he cocked his head to the side, seeming to realize beyond disbelief, "You mean the Humans you've met don't have Semblances?"

"Or Grimm, or… Faunus." The woman in question blanched, as though afraid of something, and he held his hand up in a sign of peace. "My kind has learned the perils of judging along the lines of race, rather than person credit, well. Again I ask your forgiveness for any insult I may have offered you."

"Y-Yeah…" She blinked, then, and nodded, letting the smallest of smiles break across her face and letting her ears flick gently. "Consider it done, then." Offering a hand, she adopted as formal a voice as she could, "As the first _Faunus_ to meet you, I, uh, hope the impression is good for our first contact."

"Better than others I have lived through." He took her hand and nodded, electing not to inform her precisely how the other one he had lived through had gone. "Consider our people on solid footing, young one. And ours as well," he grunted to the other three, releasing the woman, "as I doubt you are of the UNSC, with so much else different."

"We don't even know who that is." Weiss nodded, turning to the others and chewing her lip. After a moment, she sighed and turned back to him, "You should… Come back to Mistral with us, to meet someone. Someone with more influence than us, who can… Deal with you on more equal footing."

"Indeed." He nodded and rose, "I could use rest as well, and time to heal."

"Heal…?" Ruby's eyes roved him sharply and quickly, settling onto his side like a hawk's onto prey. "Oh my grapes- When did you get hit?! Was it before I left? I wouldn't have left if I had known you were hurt!"

"It happened when my craft was struck down and bit into your soil." Or so he assumed, at least. He could never be sure without remembering it properly, and knew the chances that Jul's forces had made some attempt on him. Something that seemed less and less likely, as he moved forward. "The wound is nothing, I assure you. Food and rest will deal with it fine enough."

"Then we should go." The Schnee remarked, "To Haven to receive our payment and meet with Ozpin, and decide what to do with our new… Friend."

"I doubt people will react kindly to seeing him… They react to my ears, but he can't cover up even if he wanted to." And from her tone, Blake understood such instant and unfair dislike. Even if she was unaware of his past, and the karmic nature of the Humans here disliking him. The others gave her _looks_ and she sighed, rolling her eyes and smiling to him understandably, "Just… Bare with it, Arbiter. There's nothing else to do."

He would, of course. He deserved no less for the things he had done, until he found true absolution. Assuming he _could_ find true absolution, that was. Somehow he doubted it, the weight of the lives he had taken was so great, but he would try. He _had_ to try. He was duty bound to it, to repay the twin debts of the Covenant's massacres and the hand that the Humans had played in saving his people.

"Lead the way, my small friends." He grunted simply, waving a hand for them to do so. "I shall follow your lead and look forward to meeting with this 'Ozpin'."

And from there, he'd begin his search for answers. Chief among them being where he was, and how he might go about reaching out to his people. They were, without doubt, going to need him.

"As we walk, might I suggest you begin to… Fill me in, as it were, on the workings of your world." He suggested it gently, as they stepped through the ruined gateway and began to make their way to this 'Haven'. "Mayhaps start with what a Grimm is, and what the Faunus are, so I may identify the former and avoid needlessly offending the latter."

"I'd be happy to explain the second." Blake offered eagerly, the group seeming to fall in around him like a shield. Wounded, he allowed it, turning to look down on the small woman as she spoke. "The Grimm, though… That might be good to wait until we get to Haven."

"Why is that?"

"The most basic reason is that the Grimm are attracted to emotions." Ruby explained, walking on his other side with the silent two in the lead. "Fear, hate, anger, _pain_," she gave a meaningful nod to his side, "anything negative. If we explain and you get angry, or get scared, or even just notice and think about your side hurting…"

"We could draw more down on us." Blake offered, holding up her pistol as she did. "And we used a good bit of our ammunition on the last fight. So," she gave him a look, "Faunus explanation now. Grimm one later. Does that sound good to you?"

"I suppose." He grumbled, leaving aside how animals could sense _emotions_, or why they would come down on them. "By your leisure then, please. Explain all that you feel is important."

"Well…"

"Stepped on a landmine there, big man." Yang called over her shoulder, shooting the woman a wink when she whined a 'Hey!'. Waving her armored hand over her shoulder, she called with a smile, "Have fun!"

When he gave the Faunus a look, she rolled her eyes, shrugged, and sighed like she was annoyed but more than used to her antics. Knowledge was power, though, he knew that from his friends in the UNSC. Or his rivals, he supposed, given the number of ONI operatives who had tasted the Prophet's Bane.

Before he could ask her to go ahead, though, Ruby asked, "But first, I _gotta_ know. Your sword is called Prophet's Bane, right?"

"It is."

"Why's that?" She asked, turning so he could see her scythe, collapsed into a blockier shape she hefted for him to see. "Names have meaning. My baby is Crescent Rose, because it's… Shaped like a crescent, and my last name is Rose."

"Hm." He considered what to say, for a moment, and then sighed quietly. Resting a hand on the blade on his waist, he spoke quietly, "My people were deceived by the Prophets. On their orders we did… Things I wish to not speak of. This blade, or parts of it, saw me through the war that followed, ending the Covenant when I slew the Prophet of Truth."

"Ah." Ruby nodded, "I got it. 'Slayer of Truth' makes a lot more sense, now."

"Your turn." He grunted, turning the conversation away from the next logical question - what the Prophets had made them do - and back onto them. Blake raised an eyebrow and he gestured at her head, "Speak to me of the Faunus. Whatever you wish to share, I would hear."

"If you really want to know…" He nodded and she sighed, and then shrugged, and finally, she nodded. The woman began to speak, then. And he was allowed to do something he quite enjoyed, even as he rarely had an opportunity to partake of it. To learn of a people not his own.

And without a need to _kill them_ afterwards.

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**This chapter is, on time of it's posting, very much an EXPERIMENTAL chapter. Playing with the idea, as it were. I look forward to your input and ideas, as well as suggestions. And as this is an experiment, feel free to use the idea yourself! We could always use more good Arbiter stories, eh?**_

_**Stay Twisted, my friends.**_

_**~ Twisted, your favorite cactus monarch**_

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	2. Finding The Way Forward

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_**Official Supporters:**_

_**Grand Priestess, **_**Luna Haile. **

_**High Priests, **_**Alvelvnor, Gage. **

_**Priests, **_**The Impossible Muffin**_**, **_**Xager the Chaos King.**

_**Adeptus, **_**Private Wilger**

_**Ze Nope Rope, **_**Kaiser Snek, Snekiest Snek**

_**Acolytes, **_**DigiDemonLord**_**, **_**Stonecold, Cheeseberry**

_**Initiates,**_ **Greg Gibson, Espa Cole**_****_

_**If you want to be on the Supporter list, PM one of us for details or join our private server for details. Hope you enjoy reading my stories, please leave me a comment to let me know if you did, or where I can improve. Link here, where able to be seen : **__** /2UZncAm**_

_**Second link here, remove spaces and it SHOULD work : D iscord . gg (slash) kfhkfUb**_

_**I have a kofi account now, too, under this name for those interested.**_

_**Beta : **_

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"Endless…"

"Yep! No one really knows why, either." The young Rose crowed from ahead of him, turning and walking backwards with her hands cupping her neck and a smile on her face. "All we _really_ know is that they keep coming, so we keep hunting."

"Truly?"

"Yep!" She nodded, giving him a shrug and turning to her sister beside her, "Right, Sis?"

"Someone's gotta do the job, yeah." The blonde brawler nodded, fussing with her armored hand and pursing her lips at something he couldn't discern. Groaning at something he didn't understand, she asked, "Hey, sis, when we get to the house you mind looking at this thing?"

"Somethin' wrong with it?" Ruby asked, bouncing to her side and grabbing her hand without thought. The blonde grunted and turned her hand over, showing her the inside of her wrist, and the smaller woman whistled. "Ouch, Yang. You dented the inside of your armor plating?"

"Maybe?"

"_How_ though?" She laughed, shaking her head wryly as she seemed to come to her own _apparently_ very likely answer. "Yang, did you punch a rock again?"

"It was a _wall_, actually. Though it _was_ made of stone." The felid member of their party offered quietly, smiling when the blonde chuckled. As though in surrender, or supplication of a sort, she offered a gentle addition of, "In fairness, it _did_ kill the Chimera."

"Exactly!"

"Just _shooting_ it would have worked just as well, though, Yang." The Faunus murmured, earning a loud 'Hey!' from the brawler.

"And _not_ broken her prosthetic's armor. _Again_. For the sixth time this week." The Schnee sighed, sounding exhausted but for the small smile that split her face. As though she were _fighting it_, she shook her head. "Honestly, what will you do when Ruby isn't around to fix it for you?"

"It is a prosthetic?" He rumbled, reminding them of his presence behind them and seeming to drag their good humor down.

Why, he wasn't certain, but the prosthetic seemed a faux pas to mention. Enough so that they all slowed and distanced themselves, eyes downcast and bodies tensing anxiously. Blake and Yang in particular exemplified it, turning away from each other and splitting further away to either side of him. He wasn't an expert in Human mannerisms, though he and his kin had spent some considerable time studying Humans in an effort to attain peace with them. But he was wise enough to sense the discomfort and seek a way to move them past it, lest they be mired within it.

"You say these Grimm are without number and without mind, yet they are such a grave threat." He rumbled, simultaneously voicing his curiosity and pushing the conversation past the quite proverbial minefield. Ruby gave him a look and he gestured to her with his lighter armored hand, "How can they be such a threat if they are simple beasts?"

"Because they aren't 'simple beasts'." Yang murmured, seeming to force herself out of her silence to answer the question. As she talked, he sensed her ease, forgetting the prosthetic hand clenched into a tight ball and pressed against her gut. "They're dumb, yeah. But 'simple' ain't the word to describe them. They're monsters."

"Perhaps simple is the wrong word, then." In hindsight, he was very definitely sure it had been. But his wording had been poor for a feeling of being pressed to move them on, and so he didn't exactly regret the poor wording. Regardless, "You say they can sense emotions. That they are drawn unto you for feeling them."

"No one is quite sure how _that_ works, but yes." Weiss offered, sounding crisper but eager to explain as they walked. In a quieter voice, she offered that, "Ozpin might know more, when we get to Haven Academy."

"He knows much, this Ozpin." At least it seemed so, from how they spoke of him. As though he knew more than any other, to the extent that one would say 'no one knows' and then 'Ozpin might know' in the same breath.

"Ozpin is…"

"A special case." Ruby offered her white-haired companion, smiling when the girl nodded appreciatively and tossing a gentle, "Thank me later."

"A special case in what way?" He asked, turning and gazing at the back of the silent Faunus for answer. Mostly to gauge her mood, in all honesty, though that seemed a doomed cause and she didn't answer. Instead, he turned to Ruby, who had turned her back to him but was watching him over her shoulder as they walked.

"He's the headmaster of Beacon Academy, one of the four great academies that train the best Hunters on Remnant." Was her simple answer, along with a small shrug. After a moment, she finally added, in a quieter voice, "Probably shouldn't have slipped his name without asking him first, actually… Didn't think about it."

"The norm for you…"

"Oh, you love me, Weiss-cream." The reaper crowed, smiling brightly and flashing around to her teammate's side in a flurry of rose petals. He spluttered in surprise, but she didn't notice, instead wrapping the other woman in a hug and smiling wider. "You missed your bestie, after all, didn't you?"

"I despise you…"

"That wasn't a _no_~"

"_All_ of my hate."

"They can be a lot, big guy, I know." The blonde said, falling back to walk with him while the other two stumbled ahead and the Faunus silently took their center. He gave her a look and his displeasure, slight as it was, must have shown because she sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I know, it can seem childish. _Is_ a bit childish, how they act. But, I mean, is that a bad thing?"

"For your kind, perhaps not." Though a childling would have never gotten away with such antics on Sanghelios. He didn't press the issue, though, instead turning to the young woman and speaking more lowly, "I am sorry I caused offence earlier. I was taken aback for my failing to discern what I was seeing."

"It's… Fine." She shrugged, the movement sharp and agitated. Holding it up, she made a show of flexing the fingers and chuckled, "What did you think it was, exactly?"

"Armor." He answered simply, "The UNSC has advanced combat skins that could, after a fashion, resemble the like."

"You've said that name a few times, now." Yang responded with a raised brow and crossed arms, giving him a once over. Whatever she was looking for, she seemed not to find. Instead, she raised her voice, just enough for her team's attention to be drawn by her words, "Since we told you about Faunus, maybe you could tell us about them?"

"Such would be… A fair exchange." He murmured, looking between four sets of eyes when they suddenly rounded on him all at once. It seemed they _all_ had been curious about it, and had been waiting until one of them broke the ice on the discussion. "I… Suppose we have time, though I can speak only in brief. I am not of them, and so would not seek to give you an impression as though I was."

"Don't ask a Human what it's like on Menagerie." Blake finally broke her silence to say, interested enough in him and what he had to say to break out of… Whatever he had inadvertently caused between the young team. At his perched mandibles and cocked head, she explained, "It's an old saying. Basically, it means that you don't ask someone to describe something they _can't_ fully understand."

"And yet you do so here." He murmured, ensuring that this amusement made it through in his words. Hearing it they shrugged and murmured half-hearted apologies for the matter which he waved off breezily enough. "I shall keep it brief, then, as I speak on things not within my right. They are the body that defends the Human race and it's planets, across space. In war, they were tenacious and incorrigible. In peace, they are stalwart and pragmatic, as they defend their worlds and people."

"Their… Worlds?"

"So you truly know nothing of your people across the stars, then." Or so the confusion in the young reaper's words told him, at the least. Regardless, "It is my assumption that in the great war the Covenant waged, this world was… Lost."

"Lost?" This time it was the Schnee who spoke, confused but seemingly pushing past it. "You're saying that you think they lost a _planet_? How is it that this story just keeps getting more and more insane?"

"When did your war happen, Arbiter?" Ruby asked suddenly, voice harder then he'd yet heard it. When he turned to her, she wasn't looking at him. Instead she stared dead ahead, as though pointedly avoiding looking to him. When he didn't immediately answer, she added, "If you think that this war you're talking about is why we don't recognize what you are talking about, ask us. When did the war happen?"

"Over the last half a century, according to your people's count." His own calendars and measurements of time didn't run precisely the same as theirs, of course. But it was better to use theirs in dealing with them. Or at the least, it was a polite thing to do.

And after everything, he owed their species at _least_ politeness.

"The history of Vale runs back well over a hundred years of thorough documentation, and thrice that of more spotty record keeping." Weiss offered him quietly, turning to give him a hard look over her shoulder as they stepped into a clearing. "Wherever you're from originally and however, _our_ people have only ever lived on Remnant."

"Impossible…"

"And yet it's the reality you have to deal with." Weiss countered breezily as they came to a stop, the small woman turning to him and cocking a hip to rest her hand on. "Spend a week with us and you'll get _very_ used to impossible nonsense. It's frankly the only reason that the existence of… _You_, or other Humans out there, doesn't really phase us."

"Truly?"

"Yeah, we... " Yang grimaced and cocked her head to the side, clearly looking for the right words to use. Eventually, she gave up, shrugged and smiled sourly, "We're used to weirdness. Fighting monsters, magic zaniness, ask Ozpin," she added as his mandibles flicked and he made to ask, "terrorists, and ancient relics of unknowable there's aliens. And, I mean, sure. Why not?"

"I am… Filled with questions." But he was sure he would have none answered, at least for now, and so turned his eyes to the clearing. Shaking his head, he looked out on the clearing and nodded, "Is that our transport, then?"

"Yep!" Ruby bounced, smiling and waving at the airship hovering high in the air. "Part of our contract. Don't worry, they won't say anything about you. They're professionals."

"Our compartment is also private, so they won't be there to judge." Blake offered, along with a small and oddly knowing kind of smile. She must have requested it, having told him of how people treated Faunus on this world.

Such stupidity, discrimination of the kind was, in a world with creatures which were quite literally _attracted_ to pain and rage… And which would slaughter all equally.

The airship was an oddity to him. Like a boat of Sanghelios, almost, but with sails for wings and propellers for driving force. It was large as well, easily the size of a Phantom with change to spare. A heavy, prow mounted turret sat listlessly and unmanned, and he quietly suspected more guns were hidden away behind slats that looked able to slide aside all along the side. Quietly, it came down and stopped, hovering just off the ground and with a hole through the middle open for them to board. Complaining of sore muscles, damaged equipment, and chatting quietly besides, the girls moved to board it.

And, with a shrug and a sigh, he made to do the same.

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

Mistral, he found, reminded him even more of Sanghelios than the forest had reminded him of Earth. The architecture, the mountains, all were so similar to the land of his home world in so many ways. They were different, of course, and there was no mistaking that. The arches dipped lower, and the stairs were too narrow up and down the paths for his larger feet. Statues dotted the area as well, like Sanghelios, but these were often more artistic and fantastic than Sanghelios' own more heritage oriented statues.

A difference in cultures, he supposed. One favoring military history and accomplishment, and the other seeming to do the same, but also extolling simpler artistry for its own sake. Or so he suspected, given the statue of a woman with bird wings spread high. He knew of Faunus, of course, but he doubted that there were those that had wings. Or could fly with them.

There _had_ to be a limit to the dimorphism of the Faunus, he felt safe in assuming.

Regardless of his musings and the stares he received as he walked - and his gentle assurances to his young friends that no, he did _not_ want to hide himself behind a hood and cloak - they made good progress. First to a small office where they reported their mission's success and received payment in small, seemingly plastic and colorful cards they called 'Lien'. Once that was done, they stopped for food, the children being so kind as to buy him a small bag of apples at his request.

Green and tart, sadly, but he was not one to complain over a still delectable treat.

"You needn't have been so kind." He had assured them quietly, using his powerful fingers to crack an apple in half and taking it into his mouth to enjoy. "I would have been fine enough without."

"You help fight Grimm, you get fed. Shit's simple like that, Arbiter." Yang shrugged, herself chewing on a sandwich she'd bought while he teammates gnawed on their own morsels and walked. In a teasing tone, she smiled and ordered, "Shush, big guy, and eat your food. We're gonna have a long talk when we get back to base."

As brunt and crass as she'd been, he hadn't been able to fault her logic. And beside that fact, he doubted that the others would hear him complain and not say the same. So he'd simply shrugged the words off and allowed himself to enjoy his treat, as childish as it seemed now. It had been a good enough distraction, at least, from the burning questions in his head. Questions he knew thinking on would bring no solace, even as his mind was dragged to them.

Chief among them were how he had come to this world, and what would happen to Sanghelios without his steady hand. War, he imagined, played some kind of role in both questions. Though the former was a far more complicated, or rather _empty_ and _vague_, usage of the answer. It simply didn't explain the hows and whys of the situation at hand as well and clearly as he would like, simply chalking it up to 'something related to a war' and leaving it there.

"_The Storm Covenant, perhaps."_ He privately mused as he walked, casually ripping pieces of apple off with his mandibles and looking at statues as they walked. "_Though how they could possibly have this kind of technology and an opportunity to strike at me with it, I know not. Further, why they would send me _here_, and not simply into a sun to die."_

Regardless, soon they were stood before a quiet home, and the quartet was leading him up the stairs. Inside were four more people Ruby introduced him to, ignoring their confused looks as she did. As well as a fifth, named Qrow, who was apparently up the stairs and in his room, 'resting' in the middle of the afternoon. His sharp, experienced nose tasted alcohol and he turned from thoughts of the man, knowing well the comforts alcohol could bring to one who felt a need to partake.

He himself had many times enjoyed them in the temples near his keep, ahead of trials and campaigns.

"And this is Ozpin." Ruby finally finished her introductions, and _brief_ explanations of their meeting and what he was gesturing to a Human child seated across from him in a comfortable chair. After a moment, and smiling anxiously, she waved her hands at him unsurely, sitting in a seat beside him but apparently flailing for a way to explain what she needed, "He's, uh, also Os_car_ too, sometimes. You just, you know… Have to ask and find out, sometimes."

"Well, I… I don't..." He himself flailed for a moment, taken aback by the odd statement but forcing himself to calm and approach things more simply. He had, after all, been exposed to much that was odd in the last few years. Admittedly, of course, some of the odder things had been only _today_ but such was irrelevant. "I am afraid that I do not understand. From your words before I had presumed I would be meeting some old, wise man."

"Yep."

"This... " He paused to gesture at the smiling boy, who seemed more amused than anything, "This is a child, younger than any of you, Ruby."

"That's another yep from me, big guy." She nodded, smiling apologetically and taking the seat the young blonde man dragged over for her, matched by one for him so that they could sit in a circle around a low table. And, presumably, so they could talk more easily. "He's not… I mean _they're_ not... Not, you know, _one person_."

"It's an old man inside a little boy, Mister Arby Sir." Nora offered from beside him, sitting uncomfortably close and leaning in as though she was inspecting him. At her words, though, everyone groaned and complained loudly, earning a laugh from the excitable girl as she finally leaned away from him to wave them all off. "What? Don't blame me if you all have dirty, _dirty_ thoughts. Not my fault!"

"Nora, you know what you did…"

"I accurately described the situation! Who wants to say I didn't?" She nodded, smiling and flicking her gaze between each of them as she did, searching for someone to challenge. To his surprise, that included himself, eyes meeting his and narrowing before moving on. When no one bothered, she folded her arms, kicked her feet up on the table, pouting when Lie Ren knocked them off, and then crowed, "That's what I thought! _You_ are all just perverts."

"As Miss Valkyrie so…" His face pinched, but he forced himself on with a breath, "well, _eloquently_ put, there are two people in this body. Myself, Ozpin, older than everyone here combined. And my host, whose body you see, who is… Well, a child." He smirked and, aside a bit as though speaking to no one, added, "Hush, Oscar, I am only teasing you. You know this."

"I… Would ask how." Among a host of other things, of course, but that was most prescient and likely to be answered.

"Sometimes I think of it as a curse, sometimes a gift. In both cases, the origin is the same, though. As are the functions of it." The man paused to reach out and pick up a steaming mug, smelling it before taking a sip and sighing contentedly. Coffee, his nose told him from dozens of meetings with Human officials who sang its praises as much if not more than their MACs. Finally, he began to explain in brief, "The gods of this world left it after an ancient crime. They chose me to… Guide it. When I die, rather than go to the afterlife, my soul moves to a new, like-minded enough to stand being with, host. Along with my memories, and my power."

"Immortality… Granted by gods..." It seemed insane, but then, there it was. Normally he'd have doubted, but in a world of animals that sensed emotion and preyed on people, Humans with scales and feline ears atop their heads, and super powers enabled by the _soul_ he saw no logic in debating it.

"Not quite _immortality_." The man corrected, "Eternal resurrection. I _can_ be killed after all. And have been, numerous times. A matter of course in my line of work, I suppose." His chuckle died as he grimaced and sighed, "No, Oscar, I am not _flippant_ about it. I love my hosts like you do your parents and siblings."

"The boy is… Present, then?" It was such an odd thing to ask, but here he was, doing so. "He can hear me?"

"Yes, he is." The man nodded, watching him, "Unless he chooses to recede, or sleep, he always is."

"I see." A tool of the divine, like what he'd thought so many other things had been. Something welled up within him at the knowledge, but he knew better than to believe without evidence now. And knew well enough what the feeling he felt was, "What proof do you have, then?"

"Proof?"

"Of your claim to divine mandate." He gestured at the group around him then and added in explanation, "I scarcely know any of you. Your testimonies are not sufficient for such a grand claim as this, and I hope you understand it."

"Seems reasonable to me. I mean, everything you're saying is kinda proven by _you_. Why would you expect different?" Jaune, the young knight, offered as he looked around for anyone to disagree. When none did, he turned to Ozpin and asked, "So, what have you got?"

"Miss Rose, would you please wake your uncle?" The man finally sighed, seeming resigned to his request rather than offended. Likely, he supposed, because he got such requests often enough to have grown used to them. "I have need of his _parlor trick_ to prove what I am capable of without unduly exerting myself. Or poor Oscar's body, for that matter."

"Sure, I can do that." She nodded, smoothing her skirt as she stood.

"And explain _him_ when you do, if you would." The man added as he stood, "We'll be waiting in the yard out back."

To his surprise when he rose, the others didn't follow them outside. Instead, they broke up, Jaune and the other two he'd only just met vanishing to the kitchen for 'snacks' and Ruby's team heading upstairs. Presumably to shower and rest properly, after their mission and ahead of whatever came next. But he and Ozpin - and Oscar as well, he supposed after a moment - went outside together and waited.

After a few minutes, Ruby returned, carrying a small crow in her hands and smiling.

"Here you go." She said as she offered it to him, "S'my uncle, Qrow."

"It is a bird…" He blinked, slowly looking up to her and then pointing to it. "Your… You are saying that your uncle is a bird?"

"Kinda?"

"He can change into a bird, yes. I used my magic to give him that ability, so he could do things that others would have no hope of in our mission." Ozpin offered from beside him, giving the creature a hard look. "And he can _turn back_ when he wants to as well. A parlor trick that would be quite useful around now."

As if on command he blinked, long and hard, compelled by a sudden ache that felt more like he hadn't blinked in hours. When they opened, the bird was gone, replaced by a man sitting on the ground. Staring at him with tired, red and _very_ unamused eyes and nursing a flask. The man looked him up and down once and then again, and finally he sighed and took a long drink.

"I am not sober _or_ drunk enough for this nonsense…" He finally said, taking a long sip from his flask and standing. "Magical crap _and_ aliens? I don't get paid enough for this craziness…"

"Well, I don't pay you at all at the moment, so…" The man rolled his eyes and Ozpin chuckled, turning to him and offering a small smile. "I will have more proof for you as time progresses, but for now I believe shapeshifting is magical enough to satisfy. No?"

"It is, yes." Which meant that the gods existed, at least in some form, and the man had a mandate from them. And how could he bring himself not to aid a divine mandate when the evidence had been properly offered? But he had his own needs as well and offered, "If you would help me find out how I came to be here, I would offer you my sword. And given the chance, my people's aid."

"Your people?" The man, Qrow, asked as he stepped to Ozpin's other side, with Ruby flanking on the other.

"I am a leader of my species, yes." Contested as that privilege and duty was at times, it was still the truth. And more allies such as these, who could fly and cut down beasts far larger and more powerful than themselves so easily, would not go amiss. "Once I find a way to contact my people, I can bring them here, to aid you and I alike. And repay your kindnesses."

"Well, we all know the best place for that." The bird man said quietly, giving Ozpin a small smile. "Luckily, we're already headed that way. And James will _love_ somethin' like this showing up on his doorstep."

"Indeed." The man nodded, turning to look up at the Arbiter with a small, genuinely warm seeming smile. "Let me tell you about Atlas, then. Since I am more than happy to accept your offer."

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

**Okay so I forgot the -ee thing's cultural specifics. My bad, will explain as the story progresses. Translation, when I find an in-this-story nonsense retcon to use as an excuse so I don't have to play with FF's doc system. XD**

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**Boulder Fly :**_

**Good news, then! Irregular uploads, but hey, at the very least I do intend to continue.**

_**Seyd :**_

**In canon, the Arbiter makes 'friends' with many Humans, notable examples being academics like Doctor Evan Philips. I simply assume that as he has made efforts to make headway in understanding Human culture **_**enough**_**, he would pick up obvious words.**

'**Schnee' to me is an 'Obviously german' word. And so, in how I see his curiosities and studies, he would recognize it for that, if not knowing her full name and what it means.**

_**KPMH :**_

**Eh, everyone scrabbles by as they can. I can't physically handle most work due to… **_**Things**_**, so I make my way. Also, I do original works, comms, podcasts, and am developing a game, so I don't just get support for this. If that, you know, helps.**

**I am very happy I did well enough on Thel's verbage for you, though! Spots in this chapter felt less solid to me, though. Still practicing his unique parlance. **

_**Combine 117 :**_

**Ironically, considering your name, it is not an AU. It's a crossover.**

_**Minecraft 93 :**_

**Between 4 and 5, just prior to Chief's disappearance.**

_**Zenith tempest :**_

**Oh, no, there will be a lot of friction about **_**things**_ **to do with each universe. Don't worry, I have certain plans in mind for that. And yes, the Sangheili won't take well to him missing, but what are they supposed to **_**do**_ **about it?**

**If you remember, though, him respecting people prevented Earth being glassed when the Flood landed on it. Or, well, **_**fully**_ **glassed, at the least. I won't get into much, but suffice to say that when he learns that won't eradicate all the Grimm, that won't be his go to.**


	3. The Calm Before Storms

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

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_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

The day and night ended boisterously, the children playing, laughing and sparring throughout the sun's warm life and then heading inside to continue most of that when the moon's own began. It was loud, energetic and exuberant in a way that when asked, the drunken warrior simply excused as 'Kids, man'. After a fashion, he simply shrugged and let himself enjoy the energy of the room, a far cry from his time in the Covenant or after and thus an enjoyable departure from the norm.

Eventually, though, he retired to a room they offered him, the blonde knight and his silent companion assuring him it was fine.

"Nah, don't worry, it's fine. We roomed together at Beacon anyway, so it's not really like we aren't _used_ to it." The knight assured him when he asked a second time, arms crossed and watching his ginger haired friend tote the spare bed out of the room without even a hint of strain. Watching her pass by, he added, "And besides, it's only a night or two. Tickets should be in tomorrow."

"We leave tomorrow then?"

"Eh, maybe." He shrugged and sighed as he ran a hand idly through his hair, straightening it boredly, "But we sent Weiss to get 'em kinda late. So there might not be any tickets for _tomorrow's_ limited. Since I think they only run one."

"Are you certain?"

"Well, I mean, it is called the Argus _Limited_." The blonde chuckled at his own joke and the Sangheili joined him, if only for the briefest rumble of amusement. It _did_ make sense, that. Smiling, the blonde told him, "Just get a good sleep, okay? Once we head out, it'll… Probably be rough going for us."

"You sound oddly certain." And his face was set grimly as well, though he didn't rush to point it out. The young knight gave him a look, one brow raised and head cocked to the side in the way Humans often did t convey confusion, and he explained, "The way you sounded, it seemed almost certain. As though you were resigned to trouble, rather than merely preparing for it."

"Yeah, well…" Another look fleeted across his face, though he couldn't place it. His eyes lost focus for a moment and his lips pursed, before he sighed and, in a lower voice, simply said, "Trouble tends to find us no matter how hard we try to keep out of it. Just how it goes for us. We aren't the luckiest bunch, typically."

"Hm." Luck. Something he simultaneously found he and people like him would say they lacked, yet which he earnestly believed favored him. After a moment, he offered, as an attempt at offering him peace, "Luck is in perception, my young friend. And, to my mind, a fiction."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I consider myself lucky to live in hard, interesting times where I might have an effect." He explained, bowing his head slightly as he turned to leave and finishing over his shoulder, "I wish you the manner of luck you truly desire. Whether that is the kind you profess to we shall find out."

"I don't understand what you-"

"You will understand in time, young knight." As he had himself, in the years preceding and following the Great Schism. Ironically, he realized, the young man was also both a leader and a swordsman. Even if their similarities largely ended there, it was enough to amuse. Regardless, he wished him a quiet, "Good night, young warrior. I hope our travels come and go swiftly."

With that, he stepped into his room and nudged the door shut, turning his eyes on the bed. It was smaller than he would have preferred and lower to the ground too. But it was warm, sheltered, and quiet. All of which he was grateful for and all of which made it more than acceptable. A small basket of fruit sat on the edge of the bed, leaned on pillows so it wouldn't fall and with a small paper stuck between the delectable sweets. The scrawling inside was jagged and off kilter in the way of personally written words.

The precise kind of writing he had such trouble reading.

Taking it and opening the door, he stopped a passing Weiss, herself toting a backpack and looking rather miffed, and asked, "Can you read this?"

"Can you _not_?" She asked, clearly agitated but seeming to put effort into not letting it effect her words.

"I am good at Human words, but only in speaking them. Reading, however, is still a challenge at times. Particularly those written by hand, rather than machine." Aside from the physiological problems set around his different jaw, of course, distorting some letters into more guttural noises. Noises his new companions had been kind enough not to comment on. Rescinding the offered paper, he murmured, "If your are busy, however, I can-"

"It's a note from Ruby. It says 'I saw you liked the fruit we got you so I got you some more'." She explained before he could finish, too impatient for her aggravation to let him finish. His confusion must have shown because she added, smiling, "I was in the kitchen when she wrote it and put the basket together. She saw you didn't eat a lot of the rice and chicken, and figured you might be hungry."

"Ah, yes." Rice. Too grainy when not cooked the right way for his mandibles to eat without special Sangheili tools that he lacked. And kind as they were, they didn't know how to cook grains the Sangheili way. "Please, tell her I am grateful."

"No worries." The woman shrugged, stepping by to leave and adding a final, "Going on a mission hungry is suicide."

A wise enough assessment, to his mind at least. More than a few warriors, Sangheili or otherwise, had fallen for being weakened by a lack of food or rest. It was a lesson taught swiftly in the lessons of his youth. A warrior who willingly went into battle hungry was a warrior as good as missing a limb or leaving your weapon behind. Shameful, preventable, and likely to get you killed.

A good set of excuses, to his mind, to enjoy his fruit basket before he got some sleep.

The next morning, a knock woke him from his sleep, Ruby on the other side calling out, "Train leaves tomorrow! My team and I are heading out on a short mission since we have the day. Everyone else should rest up for the trip!"

He roused swiftly enough and began redressing in his armor, strapping it firmly onto his inner combat harness with practiced ease. Years in and out of the Covenant and at war had engendered an understanding of his combat harness nearly on par with his understanding of his blade or his own body. Such was the nature of veterancy, though. A benefit he found, if one that only came after decades of war.

Not one he believed to outweigh the costs of war, though, with the hindsight that he now had.

"Good morning, Mister Alien!" Nora, ever energetic and spritely, called exuberantly when he reached the bottom of the steps. Smiling, she waved from the kitchen, and added, "Do you like eggs and bacon? Because we're making eggs and bacon for breakfast. So do you like 'em?"

"We're also baking apples for you." Ren, her partner, assured him, bent over a bowl and stirring its contents gently. Looking at him and speaking as he lumbered into the kitchen and towards them, the man explained, "And biscuits as well. I noticed you didn't eat the rice, and looking at your jaw, presumed that it was because the grains were too fine."

"You would be correct." And highly perceptive to notice, as well. Young Ruby had also noticed him not eating, now he considered it, and prepared him his own food. Noting their perceptiveness for later consideration, he explained, "My jaw lacks the same sort of base yours has, and so too finely made grains can… Well, fall free."

"Ah." He nodded and sighed, "I should have seen that and planned for it. I'm sorry."

"It is no matter, in truth, my young friend." It wasn't as though he had starved, after all. Nor had _he _thought to mention it either. Ignoring the twin missteps, he knelt and poked the oven open, inhaling the sweet aroma of baking fruit and rumbling pleasedly. "Ah, baked apples… Only in my youth and in the Kaidon temples have I ever tasted such delights."

"Your… Planet had apples?" Ren asked, pausing for a moment as though absorbing the concept of foreign worlds once more.

Something he ignored, for a wager that coming to terms with such new would take time.

"Those were not, in truth, _apples_, Lie Ren." For obvious reasons, too, given the fact that apples were from Earth and, in his youth, the Covenant had not _met_ them. Not that it would have mattered, frankly, given their reaction upon meeting them. Closing the oven and standing, though he lingered so as to enjoy the warm, heady scent, he went on, "Once the Schism ended, though, the Kaidon temples were supplied with them. In small quantities and at high fees, of course, but such came with the territory of luxury."

It was as much due to the UNSC's gouging them for resources as the scarcity of such sweets in their territories, he had always known. But if they wished more examples of his people's technology, history and training instructors in exchange, then so be it. Gouging him or not, he would only gain from the deals, now or in the future. Sharing resources would make the UNSC stronger and, once they were strong, they would trust the Sangheili enough for an alliance proper.

Or rather, so the plans he and his fellows Swords of Sanghelios had decided upon. Whether it would survive contact with the enemy that was the future, though, he could only hope.

"What is a Kaidon?" Ren asked after a moment, pulling a tray aside and setting to work mounding out the biscuits. At a glance, eyes raised challengingly, the Arbiter stepped away and around the little kitchen island so he could work. While he sprinkled some sugar and cinnamon onto the dough, he spoke, "You keep using the term and I don't know what it means. Would you care to share in detail?"

"In detail?" He asked, rumbling a laugh, "Such would take time."

"Sweet biscuits take twenty minutes in the oven, and we have to wait four more for the apples." To his surprise, it was Nora who spoke, bouncing around to sit on a stool beside him and resting her elbow on the counter and her chin in her palm. Smiling,she explained, "We got time, big guy. And curiosity to spend it on, too."

"What are we doing?" Jaune asked, wearing his armor and pausing on his way outside, one hand resting on the pommel of his sword. Sniffing he asked, "What smells so good, too? I thought we were having bacon and eggs."

"We're bakin' biscuits and apples while Arby tells us awesome alien stories." Nora answered, beaming a smile at him when he gave her a look. "Isn't that right- Ow!"

"Stop volunteering people to do things, Nora." Ren chided, the spoon he'd thumped her head with rescinding and flicking over his shoulder into the sink. Giving him a nod, he asked, "Would you explain, though? Please? We would like to get to know you."

"Hm." They did have time, he supposed, and in truth he didn't mind sharing the history lesson. And besides asking so kindly, they _were_ cooking his food. He couldn't refuse a simple explanation of basic culture with such kindnesses already being taken advantage of, even if he wished to. "Very well, then, as you asked I shall explain. Get comfortable, however, for if I am to explain what a Kaidon is and what it means to be one, we will need time."

More than it would take to cook the food, he was certain, but then it didn't matter. They had asked, after all, and so he would answer.

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

An hour or two later, and with a large explanation done and its recipients inside 'hanging out', he retired outside to take air and enjoy his sweets. As well as the warmth of the sun and the birdsong in the air, of course. The back of the house they were staying in had a nice porch and, oddly, a small cliff that overlooked Mistral proper. A fine view to meditate and think, while the others rested ahead of more training slated for later that day. They trained often, he had noticed. Occupying the space more fully than two or four should have been able to.

But they had the propensity to hurl themselves yards at a time, and nearly the last fought with firearms of some sort, so the space usage made sense.

"Not so now, though." He murmured as he rose, stepping out into the little clearing beside the cliff and pulling his sword from his hip. The Prophet's Bane hummed to life in his hand and he sighed comfortably, the warmth and hum of it a soothing presence as always. "Perhaps there is the time to run some of my stances, at least."

Even if the time would have to be taken account of elsewhere, in time where he didn't get his peace and quiet or something of the ken, but he did not mind.

Sliding his off foot back he raised his sword arm, held taut but with just enough bend in it to allow him to react properly. His other hand braced his sword-arm, fingers closed loosely around the muscle of his upper arm. Mandibles pursed hs lets his eyes close and breathed, calming himself and listening to the world shift and chime around him. Such was as he'd been taught to do, centering himself to focus on what was at hand, be it an enemy warrior or simply his training dummies.

Or, as now, the air while he ran through his stances.

A nonexistent enemy lunged for him, ephemeral blade seeking his throat, and he stepped back. The invisible blade whistled before his face and his own lashed up, carving a furrow through his assailant's chest and forcing him back, the defensive strike too shallow to kill instantly. The wound slowed the the warrior but his honor did not allow him to relent, lunging again with a shorter, more desperate cut across his brass chest. This time he caught it on his own blade, prongs hooked together expertly to keep him locked.

Sliding to the side and slamming his shoulder in, he wrenched the swords to the side and shoulder checked his opponent. As he staggered back under the Arbiter's strike, the warlord's blade slid up and in, carrying the other Sangheili's arm in by surprise and force, catching his sword hand by the wrist and freeing his own blade which cut up and in, carving another furrow in flesh and armor. This time, though, it bit through his throat, and his opponent fell back with an imagined gurgle.

Letting the imagined foe fall and die, he returned to his ready stance and sighed contentedly.

"Impressive swordsmanship, Arbiter, if you don't mind my saying." He heard, the words low and quiet, coming from the porch he'd stepped from to run his stance. Turning he saw Ozpin, able to discern the difference for him leaning on his staff, and the old smile he was wearing.

"I would never begrudge compliments from one so old as you, Ozpin." Assuming, of course, that he was as old as he claimed. Magic and immortality did not quite go hand in hand, though the former would allow him to trust him enough to trust him for now and later prove the latter. Letting the Bane quiet and turning to him, he nodded, "I merely wished to run through a stance and chain, while I had the space."

"I can understand that." Ozpin nodded, smiling and taking a seat on the steps of the porch. Sighing, he added, "Were young Oscar's body capable of withstanding it, I would do so as well."

"Is he not yet prepared enough?" He had seen them train for hours the day before, though, and assumed that had been going on for some time.

"No, no, I assure you he is quite fit." Ozpin assured him, having sensed his concern no doubt. Not that the Sangheili warlord had put any effort into _hiding it_, of course. "But 'fit' and 'able to run through the stances I would use, incorporating magic and more' are two different games, I'm afraid. And young Oscar's magical capabilities aren't yet developed."

"Are they not?" He had, apparently fallaciously, assumed that the young man's magical capabilities would have developed more mystically. Sitting with the man, with enough space between them for another man besides, he asked, "Is magical capability a physical ability, then? I had assumed it would be more mystical, akin to how your… Aura and Semblances work, to my eyes."

"Those are both actually physical as well, Arbiter." He gave the man a look but nodded after he shrugged. He had no place or reason to argue after all, so if he claimed it, the worst he could do is ask another later on. Seeing what had to appear as a moment of outreach, Ozpin explained, "Our souls dwell within us, made up of our mind, being and life force, and Aura is the manifestation of that. It can be measured as well. Gauged, trained, _hardened_. Like any other kind of muscle, or skill, time and discipline give it more and more merit as time and effort pass."

"Hm. A useful skill." He could only imagine warriors of his age and conflict gifted with such powers and abilities. A Spartan able break apart into roses and appear wherever she wished was a terrifying concept, to say the least. "How does one develop their magical capabilities then?"

"My presence will, over time, do so well enough." As a mystical being within him, it made sense. Exposure, like a vaccination, or slamming one's fists against wood to develop calluses and a resistance to pain. "Normally, I would use my magic to more swiftly develop him, but magic recovers slowly for me, now. I could speed his development by weeks, but then I would need to wait _months_ to have any advantage for it."

"A waste of effort and time, then." He understood the idea well enough. Conscription and enslavement policies regarding the lesser races trapped on Sanghelios, and aboard his vessels through and after the schism, had been countered with the same logic. Satisfied, he bowed his head and murmured, "Forgive me my curiosity, if you would. This world and your people bring much I must wrap my mind around."

"As though the existence of aliens and different Humans out there, amongst the stars, is so simple to us? So easily understood and acclimated to?" He saw the man's point and nodded, drumming the tips of his fingers against his armored thighs. Seeing an end to that line of questioning, he commented, "I heard that you spoke to some of the children of your own history."

"Did you wish to hear it as well?"

"Actually, they relayed it to me themselves, when I and Oscar expressed curiosity." His smile was wistful, then, and the man chuckled. "She is rather doting on young Oscar, often enough. Miss Valkyrie, I mean." He snorted a laugh, then, and added to his other self and for the Arbiter's benefit, "She _is_ doting on you, Oscar. Her swinging her hammer at your _face_ and not your _knees_ during training is doting. For Miss Valkyrie at least."

"Ah, he is present, then. " Something he was still getting used to, that. When ozpin opened his mouth to say something he smiled, waved him off and bowed his head. Rumbling a low chuckle, he assured him, "As almost always, I am aware, yes. But you also mentioned that he sometimes sleeps, or turns his attention away."

"So I did, yes." The man nodded, "Not this time, though."

"Indeed." He took a breath and sighed contentedly, turning to watch a flock of birds circle over the city. Idly, he asked, "We leave tomorrow, correct?"

"Yes, we do."

"I see. Hmmm." And from what he understood, _everyone_ expected scarcity, stress and battle. None of which he was truly averse to, of course, but compared to the peace and comfort available now? Only a fool would favor battle and chaos if options were present. At a thought, he offered, "If he wishes it, I would offer to instruct young Oscar."

"You would? Why, and how?" The man raised an eyebrow at that and then grew distracted and smiled, "Yes, Oscar, I can tell you are excited by the idea. But the idea still needs to be discussed. You can't just agree to every suggestion under the sun and moon."

"Swordsmanship, for the most part." Albeit his lessons wouldn't be terribly easily applied, he was sure. Still, he stood and rolled his shoulders, armor clunking and thunking as he did. Smiling he added, mor jokingly, "It will be little, but I can offer some martial training. And of a kind that _lacks_ overly large hammers, to boot."

"As you like." The man said, closing his eyes and pursing his lips. Then he shuddered and, when they opened again, the smile was more genuine and the eyes more excitedly wide. "You said you'd train me?"

"Indeed." His laugh rumbled through his chest and he gestured at the house, smiling and nodding, "Retrieve training blades for us, if you will, and we will begin. Your body is too frail yet for my brand of physical duress in training, but the _art_ of it you can learn."

Smiling, the boy vanished into the house, shouting for Jaune to show him where the practice weapons were kept. Quietly, the Arbiter mulled over how long that enthusiasm would last. A child of likely under five feet against a Sangheili Kaidon of nearly nine and half, with twice as much experience in battle as he had lived years?

The enthusiasm wouldn't last long, he felt confident in saying.

"But if it does, perhaps skill will bloom in place of the lost enthusiasm." It was a comforting thought, at least. And if he were to be among those protecting him, he would need to know what the boy was capable of on his own. The better to keep him, and likely _them all_, alive so that he could see the way to his home once again.

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**Somewhat short chapter because there are few to no fun ways to write 'Nearly ten foot tall alien knocks boy down'. Hope you enjoyed, next chapter will start stepping into V6 territory proper, rather than the interim.**_

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**Green the Ryno :**_

**He **_**is**_ **spiritual, but he would be a bit itchy about trusting people out and out. Hence the demand of proof at all, where once he'd have held blind faith. Elites **_**were**_**, after all, religious warriors to the last for a long time. **

_**Argus 456 :**_

**It would partially depend on where, galactically, I chose to put Remnant in that situation. If they're on the extreme other end of Covenant space, for instance, ONI might be unable to discern where the fleets went. If **_**fleets**_ **went anywhere rather than, say, a few small warships.**

_**Dr Killinger :**_

**I liked the reference, yeah, and I enjoy writing Nora being Nora.**

_**Zenith Tempest :**_

**Typically, Elites would glass entire worlds that had Flood infestations HALF as bad as the one that hit Africa. It was by the Arbiter's wishes that the Fleetmaster didn't glass the whole planet, alliances be damned.**

**You and I will have to disagree about RWBY's lore.**

_**Timeless Fox :**_

**I intend to keep writing it, though updates will be spotty. Irregular place on the schedule and all.**

_**Legion 0047 :**_

**The Arbiter is displeased by your heresy. XD**

_**COBRS DARKNISS :**_

**He's wearing his kaidon plate, which is the golden one. I personally prefer the silver, too, but wanted him older and a bit more on the 'wise leader seeking redemption' path than the religious zealot.**

_**Minecraft 93 :**_

**You shall see eventually~**


	4. A Ride on a Train

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

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_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

Morning came and, a he rose to once again buckle his armor on, he heard a knock at his door. Opening the door he found a somewhat tired looking, but thinly smiling nonetheless, young Faunus waiting on him, a thick cloth wrapped around one of her arms. Holding it out for him, she let it unfurl into a long traveling cloak and, before he could argue and seeing a grimace stretch across his face, she explained simply, "For the cold. Winter is coming, and we're headed North."

"Ah." And there was the touch of shame for having assumed. A touch that, from the girl's smirk when his mandibles quirked, amused her somewhat. Taking the traveling cloak he bowed his head simply, "Thank you, child."

"Of course." She shrugged, turning and adding a parting, "Thank Ruby, though, not me. It was her idea to get you a cloak."

"Mhm." He grunted, watching her leave before turning his attention to the cloak in his hands.

It was simple and black, matched to the undersuit of his combat harness in what had to be purpose given the bronze edges that cut around it. The material itself was thick but soft, and when he wrapped it around his hand he could feel the heat building, trapped by the material's insulation. Pleased by it, he threw it over his shoulders and found the thick steel chain at his neck to fasten it tight. It fell nearly to his ankles and closed around his entire form, hiding it from view and, for its purpose, the air around him. The hood didn't fit around his armor's crest, sadly, but it pooled warmly around his neck regardless.

A bit warm for the climate but, looking outside, he saw a grey sky and pregnant clouds, and people bundled lightly against the weather. And so he left it on, tucked back over his shoulders like a cape.

"_Like a Lost Warrior of old."_ He thought with a spark of childish glee, having loved the tales of the warriors in his youth. Resting a hand on the hilt of the Bane in a loose pantomime of it he murmured, "Seeking honor and retribution… Fitting, I suppose."

He finally grunted his satisfaction, turning to leave the room and finding a pack beside his door. A small sat note on the top, pinned by a pin to the side of an apple bag, and he sighed as he read the sloppy handwriting as best he could, "F-For- For y-you to have…" He sighed, shaking his head. "Reading sloppy Human characters is too much, it seems, for my meager skill."

"Its says that they're for you to enjoy on the train ride." A voice, young and anxious, offered simply. Turning, he looked down on Oscar, smiling awkwardly. "I, uh, wanted to thank you. For the training. And Ruby said you liked apples, so… There you go."

"Ah." She was too kind, really, and he felt himself growing indebted to her. And spoiled on apples, besides. Still, he gave the boy a nod and rumbled the question he had, quietly, wondered since he awoke, "Are your bruises healed, then, youngling? I would hope so, ahead of a journey."

"Yeah, yeah they're… Aura heals things like little cuts 'n bruises really fast, Oz says." The boy shrugged, then, seemingly trying to ignore the parasitic person's presence in his person.

Something that, were Thel to be asked, made a lot of sense. He hadn't the faintest idea how he would handle a voice in his head. The Spartan might have known the feeling, though, given the created woman that dwelt within his armor. Alas that he could not be here now for the Arbiter to ask after it. Not to mention the man's rifle arm, which would have been enjoyed as much as a Plasma Rifle would have been.

Or a Sangheili combat lance, for that matter, he thought with a grin.

"Do your, uh, your kind…?" Oscar winced and gave him a look, as though asking if the way he spoke was acceptable. At a nod of his great head, the boy continued, somewhat more surely, "Do your, you know, your kind… Really train kids that way? It seems rough, is all."

"It is, yes. And we do." He answered with a small shrug, already aware of the differences between Man and Elite. As they began to walk, he explained, "For a thousand years and more, my people have been warriors. We neither tolerate nor aid those who are too weak to fight. When one spars on the logs on the water, they are fit to survive or be dragged under by the beasts of the sea."

"That's… Just meant to be metaphorical." Oscar tried, giving him a look, licking his lips and adding unsurely, "R-Right?"

"Were it the case, friends of my youth would yet be with us." But to die in training was, at least, redemptive of the faults that led to it. Somewhat. Though, at his horrified expression, he expounded, "Rest assured that the spars weren't _to the death_. Such casualties were of a rarer kind than it might have seemed, and incidental. Not purposeful."

"Then why fight there?" Oscar asked as they reached the stairs and began to descend.

"To impart caution, for in any battle, even the very ground can betray you. To fall for poor footing is to die on the field of battle." It was a more cruel way than strictly needed to teach it, but at the same time it was effective. Rarely did he see warriors stumble for pebbles or sticks in his way. Finally, he added, "It is tradition."

"Doesn't make it right…"

"No. No, I suppose that it would not." He answered, rumbling a laugh as thoughts of the Covenant were stirred. So much of the Covenant had been tradition, and that tradition had _chained_ his people. Enslaved them, and leashed them as dogs to be let loose on whomever the Hierarchs deigned needed die for their twisted machinations. "Perhaps, once I am among my people, I will revisit the training of my Keep."

"Really?"

"Why not?" He challenged in jest, smiling and rolling his shoulders. "I am a breaker of tradition, after all. Why should I not seek a better path, if one exists?"

The young boy, small and anxious, laughed at his boisterous proclamation. But that was all he did, as they reached the table to eat with the others. Mostly the meal was quiet, aside from the occasional joke and laugh from the children, and made of light foods that wouldn't sit heavily while they traveled. Once he had finished he stood and left, stepping outside to wait and meditate, passing the time well enough. Inside half an hour, he heard the door open and close.

"Figures you'd disappear out here, big man." The alcohol scented man grunted, joining him sitting on the porch's edge, turned to face him and with his back pressed against the wall and his knee in his chest. Fishing his flask out of his vest he took a sip and sighed, eyes closed and head conking back against the wood of the building. "Kids're gettin' their gear together and packed up."

"I figured they would." He nodded, patting the small pack beside him. On him, it was barely a hip pouch. "I am carrying only provisions, though. And a utilitarian knife I have no use for."

"No?" In answer, he reached to the back of his waist and pulled out the small, finger-length knife he always carried on him. Too thin to use for battle without breaking it, edged in plasma emitters if he needed it nonetheless. The man grunted at the sight and he returned it while Qrow asked, "Whatcha planning to do with the new one? Dump it?"

"I would do nothing so wasteful and wonton." He snapped, reigning himself in with a sigh after a moment. That had, perhaps, been too harsh. So, he breathed, and apologized as best he could, "Forgive me, Branwen. I am… Unused to being given gifts of use, and so perhaps overvalue them. And even if you meant nothing of the sort, I felt insult at your words."

"Nah, nah, s'fine." He took another drink and his grimace turned into a small, dissatisfied sort of smirk. In a darker tone, the man dismissed the concern and added, "Just a run 'o bad luck, me opening my mouth for a boot to go in."

"A boot to go in…?"

"Right, Human metaphors you don't get." The man sighed and, after another long drink and tired, suffering sort of sigh, grunted, "Means I said something dumb, Arby. That's all. Just a sayin', even if yeah, it _kinda_ doesn't make much sense."

"I see." He filed the information away in a corner at the back of his mind and closed his eyes, returning to his meditation while he waited for them to depart. After a time with only the distant sounds of people far below and the children laughing as they readied themselves, he asked, gently, "Why do you drink so, if I might ask?"

"Because I want to?" The man tried, sighing when he rumbled his displeasure at the answer and turned a bright eye on him. Shaking his head, he took another drink and stood, sliding the flask away and grunting, "As me when you know me enough to get the answer."

As the man disappeared inside to shout for the kids to get ready to head out, he considered following to question him. Something about the sharp refusal, even if the logic held sound, screamed of need to him. Need of help, that was. But help he was neither qualified or learned in how to administer, nor which he found was his place to even look to try his hand at. And so instead, he returned to his meditations, finding them disturbed with what was a mix of idle curiosity and true worry over the middle-aged man.

"_He is a warrior, though. A broken man would be unable to even fight."_ The thought did give him comfort and surety, at least for the future. For now, though… His hand moved to the Bane again and he resolved himself to protect the man for the kind child's sake. "One step on the road to repaying her charities."

The same kind child was at his side a moment later, bent over his shoulder and grinning excitedly. In the same excited voice she always used, she cheered, petals trailing, "Come oooon! Gotta go catch a riiiide!"

"As you say." He rumbled, hiding a laugh as he rose and rolled his shoulders to close the cloak around him against the chill of the wind blowing against him. With it came more clouds and, high on the mountains that he could see, _snow_. "An ill omen…"

"Hm?" Ruby grunted, standing shorter than him but standing on the tips of her toes to follow his line of sight. "You mean… The snow?"

"Indeed." The warrior nodded, resting his hand comfortingly on the Bane's handle and rumbling his displeasure. Watching the snow falling so high but failing to reach them, he explained. "Frost and snow hide what is beneath in a veneer of white, a color of purity. But this melts before reaching us, chilling the ground but carrying the veneer of safety. Deceit within deceit, the omen is. A hard winter, a hard _path_, is shown to us in it."

"Maybe, yeah." The girl sounded drained for a moment before she bumped her shoulder against his forearm and smiled up at him. "But hey, we got it together. Yeah?"

"Indeed." And he knew of few problems that, in one way or another, a plasma sword and a skilled hand couldn't solve. "Let us go, youngling."

"Youngling." The girl murmured, pulling him to a stop as he turned. Sharp silver eyes looked up to him when he turned back. "You said that's what your people called children. Right?"

"Indeed." He nodded, eyes narrow.

"Then _maybe_ call me something else, hmm? Because calling me a child… _Kinda_ doesn't work, you know?" She smiled but it was stiff, brows knitted down in a furrow that spoke of aggravation. She stepped past him and he watched her vanish, rumbling an amused laugh as she went.

"_A fiery little one, she is." _He mused, turning another, final look on the snow that died high above, dusting only the highest points of the mountains with white. "_She will need that fire if the snow portends disaster and deceit, as I suspect." _"But," he sighed as he finally turned to leave, "we shall soon see, I suppose."

With that, they left, pulling on packs filled more with their clothes than supplies for their short journey to the train station. The train, as he'd been told, would have food and drink for them to buy. Which was in large part the reason for the previous day's short-lived scouting run, over the wall to check out a civilian crash that had turned out to be nothing at all. But such, he'd been told, was only good fortune. No one was in any danger and they were still paid for their time, and the risk that the young ones had agreed to take by going out there in the first place.

A good, honorable principle of payment.

The walk to the train-station was a loud affair, with the children surrounding him and chattering energetically as they went. Between them, with Ozpin in front of him for his own protection, he lumbered on. It was easy enough for him to ignore the petulant, hate-filled glares and murmurs he and the young Belladonna earned as they made their way. The both of them were used to such attentions, he was sure, even if they got them for _very_ different reasons indeed.

Young Yang, though, was either unused to it or unwilling to tolerate it, shooting glares and flexing whenever she saw someone glaring their way. The Belladonna was shy about it, but he could tell from her flush and smile she didn't mind the protection. Whether she _needed_ it, or would have asked for it given the chance, was likely immaterial. Merely the act of defending her made her happy enough.

"_Like young maidens from ancient fairy tales, I suppose."_ He chuckled, turning his gaze skyward to once more look at the clouds blocking out the blue of the sky. Perhaps, he hoped, like those fairy tales and legends, all would end well. Or at least as well as could be hoped, given whatever circumstances befell them.

The cynic in him, though, warned against such hope. Better to wait and see what would come, with a hand on the Bane for when he needed to cut down some foolish ones. '_But,'_ he mused, '_how strange and wrong could a simple train ride truly go?'_

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

He staggered back under the shockwave of the Grimm's explosive breath, shield sparking as heat and broken metal showered his back and side. Trifling annoyances and nothing else, but the smoke that it sent up, from burning wreckage and insulation, clogged his nostrils and broke up his vision. But if it burned _his_ nose and eyes, and blocked _his_ vision, then it did the same for the Grimm's. Stepping back he turned his armored half to the smoke, cloak whipping in the wind on his other side, and took a deep, long breath. Gripping his armored sword-arm he turned the Bane down and to the side, angled along his hip and nearly cutting into the metal hull of the train. There he waited, while the wind howled, his young friends fought, and the gun turrets further along the train tried to fend off the Grimm closing on them.

He didn't have to wait long.

With a feral roar, the winged creature leapt through the smoke, aiming to crush him under its sheer weight. Used to such brutish from the Covenant's fall, he merely stepped to the side to avoid the beast, Prophet's Bane lashing up from its wrist to its shoulder. The black fur burned and the flesh parted with a wet sizzle and pop, cleaved nearly in two. The creature roared in pain from the wound and then again as its momentum carried it to land on the ruined hand, buckling and collapsing onto the metal before him. Before it could rise he stepped in, burying the Bane in its skull and perforating what would have been its grey matter.

It died with a final heave and he wrenched the blade free, turning at movement as it dissolved and another Grimm leapt for him. His blade thrust for its shoulder and buried to the hilt but the beast's weight bit home regardless, pushing him back as he wrestled with the wounded monster. Twisting the blade in its shoulder he pushed it back and up, cleaving its wing off along with most of its arm and then slamming a boot into it to force it towards the edge.

The creature snarled and lashed out with its other claw, but he turned and let them scrape along his armored hide, countering with his own, plasma based claw and blinding it. With a feral roar of pain, the Manticore staggered back, good forearm finding only air to retreat to. With no wing and its weight teetering off the edge, it gave a final, desperate snarl and fell away, crushed by the train's wheels.

Heaving for breath he turned, searching for the next opponent only for his eyes to wide as weight slammed into his back, knocking him to his knees. Claws closed around his armored arm and leg and lifted, carrying him into the air before he could recover. Swiftly, he was lifted several feet above the train, the creature trying to carry him up and off, into the woods the train was passing. Below him, cars raced by, and he felt damnation clawing for his life, for not the first time.

And not for the first time, he resolved to spit in damnation's eyes.

Reaching up, he took the Bane in his other hand and lashed out and up, carving the claws around his leg off. The creature snarled and dipped as his weight shifted, but another Manticore rushed to its aid, claws closing around his hips and shoulders and mouth filling with flame to end him. He buried the Bane in its breast before it could enact its plan, fire licking his hands as the blade cut up and into its throat. It fell back, plasma sword cutting through its flesh as it went, fire leaking from its body as it fell and turned to ash.

But another Grimm took its place, and a third clambered onto its back, the beast swarming him as he was carried away. The one on his front fared no better than the other before it had, head falling one way and body the other when he reacted. But he couldn't reach the one on his back, and he could feel his armor's gaps being felt out, claws digging into his padded combat undersuit. Soon, they would be digging into flesh and bone, unless something was done.

Suddenly, as though a divine hand had reached down to aid him, the Manticore on his back was gone. His sword saw to the claws of the one holding him still, and then he was falling. Which was better by a small margin, if not for the fact that the train was racing by a few feet to the side, and not below him.

"Gah." His breath was driven from him as he landed on _something_, nearly losing his grip on the Bane for the suddenness of it.

"Got your back, Arbiter." The young Schnee called back, sitting at the back of the head of a great bee of some kind, shining a resplendent white. Giving him a small look she smiled, "Get ready to hop off, gonna drop you at the back of the passenger area. Tunnel's coming up."

"I understand and thank you for your aid." He grunted, righting himself and letting the Bane rest on his hip once more. Ahead of them, racing closer, he could make out a tunnel's entrance. And the Grimm swarming the sections of train meant to carry the passengers, attracted by the turrets and the Huntsman using them for cover. "He is drawing the creatures to the civilians."

"We noticed." Weiss shouted back, though how she'd heard him was a mystery he left for another time. Instead, he listened as she explained, "We need to get him to turn it off. Leaving that to the others, though."

Why she'd decided to do that was easily understood, the girl sounding and looking worse for wear and fatigued. Coming to his aid had doubtless done little to help her in that regard, either. Another kindness for which he owed these young warriors, he supposed quietly. But at the very least, he was alive to owe the favors, and so he minded little.

"Hop off and be careful, it's easy to fall off." Weiss cautioned him as she came along the side of the train, the mountain fast approaching in the distance. He did as she ordered and turned as she leapt, stepping in to catch her and then dropping down onto the landing, the girl tucked under an arm. As he let her down, the tunnel swallowed the train, casting them in shadow, and she murmured, "Thanks."

"No trouble." And in truth, he owed her, so trouble would have been immaterial. Pulling the door open onto an empty passenger car he beckoned her in and added, "Take your rest, young one. I will see to the rest of our troubles."

"Yeah." She nodded, collapsing onto a bench and taking a half-drunken bottle of water from the floor, grimacing at it before taking a sip.

Two cars up, he caught sight of the others, huddled at one end of the train car while the civilians huddled at the other end. Pulling open the door, he stepped in to catch the end of their 'guardian's' sentence, "-an idiot! I turn those guns off, and they rip me and the train apart!"

"Were it so easy to destroy this train, and were they to target it instead of _you_, then it would have been derailed long ago." He rumbled, the small Huntsman turning to look up at him with wide eyes. They'd met prior so, he figured, it had to be his height towering over him. Seeing his wounded arm, he rested a hand on the opposite shoulder and assured him, "You have fought well, Huntsman. But you are wounded and unable to fight further."

"We can, though." Arc, the young knight, added from behind him. Turning to the hammer-wielder beside him he asked, "Nora, explain your plan again?"

"Yeah, um, sure." She nodded, biting her lip for the briefest moment as all eyes slid to hers before she collected herself with a breath. "Jauney can augment Ren's Aura and Semblance to hide the civilians. Blake, Arbiter, doesn't matter which of you do it, you detach the train cars at the back."

"And we hold the Grimm there while the train escapes, so that Ren can get them out of range of the Grimm without being noticed." Ruby nodded, turning to give the Arbiter and the Huntsman a look. At his nod, she turned her attention wholly on the wounded man, asking, "Will you please shut off the gun turrets? Our plan won't work with them blasting the Grimm all the way. You'll just draw them with you."

"...Fine." He finally nodded, fishing out his Scroll with a wince as his arm sagged. Pressing a few keys, he grunted. "There, done."

"Good." Ruby nodded, turning to the Arc with the confident smile and ease of a leader. He would have known its ken in anyone of any species. "Jaune, can you heal him a bit? Don't use a lot of your Aura, but make it a bit easier on him? And show him to a spot to rest?"

"Sure." He nodded, laying a hand on the man's shoulder and guiding him away, already glowing a bit as his Aura flared around him. Over his shoulder, Jaune called back, "Tunnel exists in two minutes!"

"Arbiter, you don't have a ranged attack." Ruby said quickly, pushing him towards the door again and then pointing. In a voice full of enough authority that even _he_ felt the need to listen, she explained, "Go back three train cars and wait with your sword out. Count to fifteen and cut the cars free. Stay on either side you want and just… Hope it works."

"It will be done." He nodded, turning and pushing the door open after she returned the gesture. Striding through empty cars, he finally stepped out just as natural light washed over the train. Overhead, he saw the children leap past his car and stepped to the other side, facing back the way he'd come.

Once he reached the count he lit his sword and knelt, easily cutting the thin, not particularly plasma resistant, coupling free. As he rose and watched the receding train, he blinked at what he thought for a moment to be a face, before it was gone. He was spared a chance to think on it, though, as the car raced on and, from behind him, a fireball slammed into the tracks far ahead of their still speeding section of train.

He'd only just managed to get inside and grab onto the sides of a private room's door when the train _lurched_ up and to the side, hurling him against the roof as it soared through the air and into the trees and ground. As it bit into the ground he was hurled again, slamming his head into a wall and falling, dizzy and fading from consciousness. With the last of his will he pulled himself up and crawled to the door, laying against it and looking up at the snow, where they'd find him.

Then, nothing but the bliss of sleep.

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**Just Monika :**_

**More is coming~! Tried to give out a good fight scene, too.**

_**KPMH 2001 :**_

**He always, in any media, strikes me as a somewhat jaded but wise figure. As you said, you can only go through so much without learning.**

_**The Fish King :**_

**No he hasn't, and yes they do. I want him to talk about John but A, don't know how to phrase what I believe he feels for the man and B, don't know how he would BROACH the topic.**

_**Combine 117 :**_

**No he didn't. Luckily, he came out with just bruises on this round.**

_**Smokey Panda :**_

**Just glad you enjoy it!**


	5. Forbidden Knowledge

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His rest only lasted a few minutes at best, the cold and his friends voices calling out for him rousing him before long had likely passed. He could tell as much, as the gently falling snow hadn't built up enough to cover any of him where he'd fallen. At the very least, even though the brightness made his eyes and head throb achingly, the cold of the air and snow was a nice balm for the bruises he felt blossoming along his back, side and head. The latter of which he could blame for the headache, at least, though the light sensitivity worried him for the threat of concussion it posed.

All the more reason to get up and moving, then, as sleeping with a concussion could be _very_ dangerous indeed.

Rolling over, he grunted, digging through the snow beside him until he unearthed the Bane. With it resting on his hip once more, a comforting weight to say the least of it, he forced himself onto his knees and reached up. Weak, frigid steel buckled under his weight and strength as he grabbed it and pulled himself through and free. The snow outside was deeper than he'd thought, though, and he sank up to his knee in the chill white powder. On his second step he grunted nearly tripping as a foot landed awkwardly on steel he couldn't see.

"Gotcha, big'n." A familiar voice grunted, Qrow appearing at his side and as much _catching_ him as standing there like a rod for him to catch himself on. Chuckling as the Elite freed himself, the Huntsman waved off his thanks with a grim, resigned sort of smile, "All fine, trust me. 'Sides, probably my fault. Bit of a bad luck charm, you know?"

"I suppose I do." He didn't. At least no really, but then he understood little of their Semblances and magic save that it _existed_.

And so he found it easier to simply move on, turning eyes in their surroundings. The train sections they had separated had, as he remembered, been blown off the tracks. The wreckage spindled along for maybe a dozen yards, glass, metal and crates scattered around it like blood from a fallen warrior. Seeing him well, the girls began calling out to each other and, finally, scavenging the wreckage for whatever supplies could be found. And, of course, their own things, some of which had been left behind in the rear cars or their quarters.

Where his bag of apples had gone, he had no idea, but the back half of their car was crushed entirely. And that _was_ where he'd been quartered, and they'd been left. What rotten luck…

He asked as Oscar approached, evident for his sloped shoulders and the way he fidgeted, glancing around them warily. As though he expected a beast to leap from the frost itself to consume him. Though in truth, from what little he knew of the matter, such was very probably possible. The ridiculous seemed to be the _regular_ on this confusing little planet, after all, so he couldn't expect anything less.

"Are you well, child?" He asked quietly, striding to meet him while Qrow trailed off and away, always watching but keeping at a distance. As though afraid to be near the boy, for whatever reason. Why could be left to later, though, he decided, turning back to the boy and kneeling to check on him. "You seem uninjured, at least. And you haven't lost any of your things, have you? You appear all together."

"What?" His eyes narrowed and he blinked, shaking his head, "Yeah, no, I'm… Fine. Just scared. I feel like a monster's gonna jump out of a snowdrift or something at any moment."

"Such isn't impossible on this world." When the boy seemed to only panic more, the elite laid a hand on his shoulder so large it hid most of his chest, "But you are not out here alone. Stay near me, and I shall protect you with my life."

"O-Okay, yeah, sure." The boy nodded, seemingly comforted by the thought of an around ten foot tall veteran warlord with a plasma blade protecting him. For obvious reasons, he supposed. After a moment he blinked, eyes distant, and then shrugged and sighed, "Uh, Ozpin wants to talk to you first, though."

"About what, youngling?" He murmured as he rose, standing more surely now that the dizziness brought on by his throbbing head had subsided enough to be ignored.

"I don't really know. He, uh, didn't say." He shrugged, apparently not caring _about_ not knowing. As though thinking along the same lines, he added, "I figure I'll, you know… Find out, in a second. So do you mind?"

"Ah." His reasoning made a lot of sense, really. And so with a small nod of his great head, he rumbled, "Very well, then. So long as you tolerate the intrusion, young Oscar."

The boy only shrugged, though, as though that thought wasn't one that really held any weight for him. Then, with a familiar, tiny shudder, his body language changed. Shoulders straighter, smile more easy and confident and eyes filled with more wisdom and certainty than before. Swiftly, the ancient warrior replaced the young boy while he watched on. It was, in truth, a rather odd thing to watch, if not an outright unpleasant one. It did raise questions in his mind, though, on the topic of souls and their fates. And of Oscar's, and what would happen to _it_ in the end.

Questions, then, that he found best ignored.

"I wanted to ask you about Aura, actually." The ancient, divine parasite explained, gesturing for him to follow him away from the destroyed train and into the small clearing while the children continued digging their things out of it. At the confused tilt of his head and the perching of his mandibles, the man clarified. "About _your_ Aura, specifically, Arbiter. And whether you wanted it to be activated."

"I am not of your people, ancient one. And so I do not truly know if I would even _have_ an Aura, Ozpin." Or if he wanted that query answered, for that matter. Part of him didn't fancy knowing whether or not he was a soulless creature or not. After a moment of consideration, he decided he did.

"No, Uncle Qrow, I _won't_ just 'let it go'!" Yang snapped, suddenly and loudly, tugging him out of his considerations far before he could make a decision. He turned and was met with her shoulder, brushing him aside and demanding, "The Relic attracts the Grimm, doesn't it, Oz? I saw them coming after you more than anyone else."

"I…" The wizard paused, considering her words for a moment before shaking his head and affecting a small, assuring smile. One that cried out to his ancient instincts, dragging on memories of the Covenant. But why, he couldn't say, beyond the gut reaction. "Oscar was… Merely afraid. That was the more likely cause of the Grimm focusing on me. And I was nearer to the cars we put the civilians in, if you recall. And besides, we need to know where the Relic is first and foremost."

"Nuh-uh, that can wait." Yang grunted, crossing her arms as the rest of their party began to filter in around them and he stepped back, watching them both. Eventually, he found himself beside Qrow, the two standing together as she argued further, pushing him, "And _you_ didn't say it doesn't attract the Grimm, I noticed."

"I did not, no." The man sighed, turning a hopeful gaze on Qrow. When the other man could only shrug uncertainly, Ozpin pinched the bridge of his nose and finally, quietly, admitted, "Very well then, as this is an apparently unavoidable discussion now, seemingly. Yes, it attracts the Grimm. It's faint, easily overwhelmed by fear or the like, but undeniable. I believe it's due to their origins, how they were made and what they are, but I don't know for sure."

"So you did lie?" The Schnee asked, shaking her head as her team formed up. "What happened to your promise, then?"

"I did not _lie_, Miss Schnee." Ozpin argued as gently as he could, eyes flicking across the snow around them as he turned, looking further out while he talked. "I merely… Withheld some information. That's all."

"Yeah." Yang nodded, "'No more lies and half truths', right? Nice to see how far _that_ got. Us, Mistral, I mean hey, at least you don't discriminate in who you lie to. What about Uncle Qrow? What about our _mom_? Did you lie to _them_ too?"

"Hey now, that's enough o' that." Qrow warned, stepping in between the kids and the old man, who had turned to answer. To defend himself or admit to it would never be known, though. Instead, he let Qrow speak for him. "Raven chose her own damn way, and you _know_ better than to use Summer like some kind of damn bludgeon. Your dad raised you better than that."

"My _point_ isn't about that, and I'm not using either of them, Uncle. I… I'm sorry, okay. To you and Ruby both. Okay?" Yang grunted sharply at the last, thoroughly ashamed and clearly apologetic, but still too angry to let the heart of the matter go. Still, she spoke somewhat quieter and more calmly next, "It's just that I don't like the idea of fighting for someone that constantly lies to me like this. It's… Not right, to lie so often, and to-to _everyone_."

"I don't think this is the time or place for this discussion, Miss-"

"I do." He stepped in himself, eyes hard and appraising as he looked between the two. Firm and resolute, he gave the young Huntress hopeful a curt nod and turned back to Ozpin. "I do not wish to speak of it, but I served in the military of an empire who built their foundations on lies, Ozpin. Their lies brought about the deaths of literally innumerable innocents. By my blade, I killed countless good people because of such kinds of deceit. And I will _not_ stand aside and be lied into war and murder yet again, ancient one. Speak the truth, or lose my blade. _And_ my armies."

"Fine, then." Ozpin sighed, shaking his head and turning his back on them, searching the snow around them for the Relic while he spoke, "Yes, I lied about Leonardo's fate. I thought it better to keep the populace calm and honor a man who was once my friend rather than get everyone upset over nothing."

"Nothing?" Qrow murmured just loud enough to carry, "Oz, he killed… He got so many good Huntsmen and Huntresses killed."

"Yes, and that is _shameful_! But I was not willing to sour _their_ sacrifices as being betrayals, or throw away all Leonardo's years of service for the missteps of his final years." The man argued firmly, shaking his head and turning his gaze from one of them to the next, lingering only long enough to be sure he was making eye contact.

Sighing yet again when no one interrupted, and then taking a breath to steady himself, he went on, "I just need you, _all_ of you, to understand that I have a method to my, well, _methods_. The things I do, the secrets I keep, I have reasons for all of them based on more experience than all of you _and_ your parent's years on this planet combined."

"Thousands of Leonardos, thousands of knives in the back from people saying that I could trust them. So yes." He finished solidly, sounding tired but satisfied in the way that someone who had won an argument would be. Smiling, and certain, he went on, "I withheld the information that the Relic could draw the Grimm onto us. Because I thought it was best for everyone here if I did so. To prevent the same negativity _all_ of you are showing right now, which would draw every Grimm in the area onto us if they weren't likely already dead. Now, can we please set about finding one of the most important artefacts known to mankind?"

"It's here." Ruby murmured quietly from beyond her teammates, reaching under her cloak to retrieve the little bauble. It floated above her hand, small but clearly magical, and she smiled weakly at it. "It got scattered in the crash. I found it."

"That's… Good news, Miss Rose." Whatever he'd originally meant to say, he smiled and took a step forward, holding out a hand and smiling wider. "Please, hand it over and we can get underway."

"I…" She grimaced and licked her lips, looking first to it and then back to him. "So all those things you said, about having faith in Humanity… That was just for other people?"

"No, Miss Rose, that isn't what I meant. " The man assured her, smiling in the paternal, consoling way he'd seen some of his men smile. Even across the divides of species, such was a recognizable look. As was the falsity to it, much to his disquiet. Still smiling, he reiterated, "I just wish to take the Relic so that we may move on. So please-"

"I can carry it." She assured him, eyes narrow and hard in a way that caught the Arbiter off guard. Clipping it onto her belt, she gestured to it and smiled, "See? Now let's go."

"I'm sorry, Miss Rose, but I must insist on carrying it myself." He argued gently, taking another small step towards her, so his right foot was the one forward. The other, he noticed, had turned aside for better grip. As though he meant to leap for her. "The Relic is a burden and a target. I would not put it on anyone else."

"But I'm volunteering-"

"Even so, I would like to have it back."

"Why does it _matter_ who carries it?" Blake asked, waving a hand towards it. "_You_ said it was useless, so it's not likely to be a target right now."

"Because I am the one who-" He flinched and froze, body trembling as if under great strain for a long moment. Then he collapsed, trembling on hands and knees as though freezing to the core or bearing a great weight.

"Ozpin…?" Yang asked, weapons extended on instinct at the sudden turn. Around her, hands had fallen to weapons, wary of attack by Grimm or whatever else.

With a blink, he realised that he, too, had his hand on the hilt of his blade. To what end he wasn't certain, as he doubted he would cut down the boy if he attacked. Even were Ozpin his enemy, he would not kill the boy with him for it. And with his size, he could easily bind the warrior down and restrain him, until the boy was back under control.

"N-No." Oscar, he could tell from the pitch and the effort in the words, ground out. Forcing himself up, he rested back on his haunches in the snow, wincing as though in pain. As though _under attack_. "H-He doesn't want you to have it because- Because he doesn't want you to find out what he's hiding."

"What he's-"

"Jinn!" The boy interrupted, struggling still and clutching his head for it. "Say her name to summon her before I lose- Ah!"

"Please." Ozpin, voice steadier and lacking the struggle behind it, finally said quietly. _Fearfully_, even. Looking up at them with pleading eyes, he half rose so that he was kneeling, one hand stretched out for the Relic, "Please, Ruby. _Don't. _Don't say her name."

"I…" The girl turned a look on her team, lost, and finally on the Arbiter and Qrow, standing before him and to the side, looking as lost as the girl was. "U-Uncle Qrow…?"

"Listen, Ruby, just-" He took a step forward and the other three girls snapped to attention, weapons out and leveling on him as though to cut him down. Even the elderly woman, standing beyond the girls and looking _wholly_ lost, flinched at the sight. The Huntsman sighed and raised his hands in surrender, shaking his head, "Just… Do whatever you think is right, kid."

"Ji- Mph!"

Ozpin moved before she could speak, the hand that had been in the snow lashing out. The ball of powder caught the girl in the mouth, gagging her, and he launched forward. The Schnee was the closest and stepped in, white glyph spinning behind her, but the warrior didn't pay her much note. A snowball caught her in the eyes, blinding her so that she couldn't block the fist that caught in her hair, the boy wrenching her to the side and hurling her into the blonde as she came for him.

The Belladonna was next, a shadow taking the snowball as she moved. Her ribbon wrapped around an arm as she landed in front of him and stepped back, yanking him to off-balance the man. Instead, though, the man dove in, slamming his shoulder into her gut as his cane as a hand dipped between her legs, gripping a thigh and yanking her upright to drop her into the snow. The Faunus fell, surprised and with her footing gone, and the boy used her as a step, leaping over her towards the hacking Rose.

He only made it a step further before the Arbiter slammed into his back, driving him down. He made to rise and the alien closed a fist around the boyish head and waist, lifting him up wholly. Snow slammed into his face but he ignored it, ordering, "Say the name if you so wish it, child."

"No!" Ozpin cried, sounding… Broken, almost, in a way that had the Arbiter wince in sympathy. "Miss- Ruby, please, don't."

"Jinn." The girl murmured in answer, the Arbiter nodding his understanding and turning, dropping the man into the snow with the Arbiter between them and the girls surrounding the alien and the boy.

For a moment, nothing happened, and the Arbiter almost wondered if something was _wrong_. Then, he felt something crackling around him, like the energy of an exposed power conduit. Or, more nearly, like a Forerunner teleporter system. Blue emanated from behind him as the very snowfall halted and he turned, looking up as a massive woman with skin as blue as the sky came into being, floating in the air.

"Aaaaaah!" She moaned, stretching languidly as chains and jewelry formed around her, fitted to her seemingly naked but featureless form. Letting her hands drop the spirit bobbed and smiled, "Wonderful. Simply wonderful, to see so many new people. Ah, yes, introductions." The spirit cleared her throat, intoning, "I am the Spirit of Knowledge, created by the God of Light to gift Humanity with the power of knowledge."

"A spirit…"

"Yes, Thel." The being chuckled, turning and leaning down to look him in the face. He staggered back at the closeness and for his shock, tripped, and fell into the snow. Her eyes crinkled in amusement and, idly, she mused, "To think one of _you_ would find their way here, of all places… Tell me, do you intend on burning _this_ world, too?"

"I…" She knew him and what he had done, and the realization had his heart racing even as his extremities went numb.

"Of course I know who you are, silly alien. And what you intend, _and_ what you have done. Forgive me my mischief." The being laughed, a musical and mirthful sound, straightening and turning to the girl who had called her name. "I am the Relic of Knowledge, Ruby Rose. As the Old Man didn't tell you the rules, _I shall_. In each era, I may answer three questions. And you are in luck because I-"

"Jinn, don't." Ozpin interrupted, the spirit turning to regard him as the Arbiter collected himself.

"...Have two questions left in this era, and for the next roughly sixty-seven years." Another dark, mischief minded chuckle broke past the spirit's lips as she looked on the boy. Or, seemingly a more accurate understanding, she was looking _through_ Oscar's body and at the man that dwelt within. "Hello, Old Man. Good to see you again, though you visit so rarely. And for once, you were even kind enough to show me the _sky_."

"Please…"

"Oh, cease your pleading, please, Old Man." She chuckled, the sound harsher and crueller than ever before, in their short time knowing her. "You know as well as I do that whoever summons me has reign on what happens. Not me." Her gaze flickered to the Arbiter, then, and she added, "Well, any summoners who are natives of the World, at least."

"You mean-"

"I am not bound to answer any questions _you_ ask, no, Thel Vadam the Destroyer." Her nose crinkled as he felt the loss run through him, the warrior having dared for a moment to hope that she could grant him the answer to his gravest question. To his _people's_ gravest query. At the thought, she smirked and turned to look down on him, head held back almost as though she thought herself a ruler high above him, head cocked to the side where she floated and considered him. "Knowing the answer to _that_ question will do _no one_ any good. I am the Relic of Knowledge, Thel Vadam, Night Ender. I am the one that answers only with the truth, and though I can not predict the future, I know for certain that my answer is true."

"Were it so easy to dismiss…" He sighed and shook his head, pushing aside his selfish, _burning_ need to know the answer to his question. Instead, he rumbled, "Please, consider the matter for a time. For now, young Ruby..."

"What's your question?" She asked, watching him closely.

"Girl, the answer to his question will _not_-"

"The truth is the truth." She countered, asking him again, "What is your question?"

"I…" For a moment, he considered what to do. It would be so easy to give in and ask what he so desperately wished to know. What his people and their victims so wanted to discover. But… "No, Ruby." He finally answered, chest aching with it, "I cannot allow you to use a question such as this to satisfy my mere curiosities. Even if my question is so deeply valued to me, it would be hubris to risk your people on it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." No, but honor demanded as such, and he would not be a hypocrite of convenience. "Ask your true question, and let it be done."

"Okay…" The girl turned to the spirit again and he had to turn to grab Ozpin, armed with a stick and a fist of snow he'd dug up, before he could attack her again. He shoved the boy aside and the blonde's arms closed around him, looped under his arms and up, behind his neck. With a sigh, Ruby asked, voice cracking for her fear, "What is Ozpin hiding from us, Jinn?"

And then, all was darkness, before white broke through his vision, a tower seemingly painting itself into existence. And he was alone, turning this way and that, searching for his fellows. In his ears, once he was resigned to the solitude, he heard the voice speak, "Long ago, there existed a lonely tower. And in the highest room of that tower, behind innumerable barricades was a girl."

A blonde woman appeared before him, brushing her hair as her room was painted into existence, and the voice finished, "A girl named _Salem_."

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**Dark Vampire Kisses :**_

**Because you didn't pay attention to announcements~?**

_**Green the Ryno :**_

**Maybe, maybe not, but you won't be hearing it yet. If indeed it comes out at all.**

_**Combine :**_

**Yeah, he jinxed it. But then, he's new to this world, so he doesn't know what to expect in the first place.**

_**Zenith Tempest :**_

**If you are getting burnt out on RWBY then take a break. No one blames people who do that, it's normal to let things sit for a while. **


	6. The Consequences of Knowledge

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

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_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

When their collective vision ended, not one of them were in the same place they had been in when it began. Instead, they stood in a strict circle around the floating form of the Spirit itself, floating above and between them. One side of the circle was made up of the girls, the sisters in their middle. The other was made up of himself, Qrow, and both the immortal and the elderly woman in their center. Each of them stood straight as ramrods, arms rigid at their sides and heads hanging down, their chins against their chests. As they came to they stumbled, suddenly under their own volition to stand or fall rather than the magic that had held them.

Ozpin in Oscar's skin, sank to his knees instantly, hands clutching at his head as he began to sob. Beside her partner, Blake sank to her knees in the snow to do the same. Albeit her tears were more fearful, frustrated and lost, rather than the mournful hacking the man had so swiftly descended into. While they stood and processed all they had seen, the Spirit vanished into the Relic once more, resting on Ruby's hip.

Before any others could so much as move, Yang crossed the space under Jinn and seized the boy, hauling him up with her fists and demanding, "How could you keep something like _that_ from us? Salem can't _die_?! Are you fucking _joking_?"

"I-I didn't-"

"Tell us the truth?" Yang interrupted, practically _shrieking_ and her hair smoldering. Laughing harshly, she pushed him back and let him go, practically hurling the boy into the snow at her feet. Crossing her arms over her chest, the woman turned and took a few steps away, snarling back, "Oh we _know_ you didn't, Oz."

"Y-Yang…" Blake murmured, drawing her partner's gaze. Without a word Yang was beside her, an arm pulling her head onto her shoulder as they knelt in the snow. Quietly, they spoke, whispering so lowly none of them could hear what was said.

The Arbiter could understand their terror in the face of such damnedaly indestructible adversity. The truth of the False Prophets had similarly broken many Sangheili warriors… Enough so that some of them had taken their own lives for the shame and shock of it all.

As the partners spoke, Ruby stepped up to them, her partner at her side looking like a tempest made manifest as a young woman. Voice taut with tension and anger, she asked, "Professor, what _is_ your plan to defeat Salem? Why are we out here? What do you want us to do?"

"I… I…" Kneeling in the snow and looking up at them, the Arbiter could see fresh tears falling along his cheeks. His entire body trembled with the question, eyes searching the girl, and then her partner and, finally, the two older warriors for what to say. When he found no answers, he bowed his head and, quietly, admitted, "I don't have one, Miss Rose… I never have."

For the briefest moment, all was silent and still. Even the partner pair were silent, the young Faunus having had enough time to calm herself after the revelations and letting her blonde partner tug her upright. As he had seen on so many Sangheili, her fear filled eyes had vanished, replaced now by righteous anger. He himself had been there, fear, betrayal and revulsion replaced by righteous fury. An experience that, alone, allowed him to face down what had been revealed steadfastly.

Even if his hand trembled for a moment before he could school himself, he knew no one had seen it. And had they, who could have blamed him for fearing a war with an immortal, magically powered witch? No one. And besides, it didn't alter his plans at all, beyond the obvious caveat that direct martial confrontation would be useless entirely.

"You never had a plan to… To win?" Qrow asked, eyes wide and vacant, looking down on the boy.

When Ozpin didn't answer, his hands began to tremble and his eyes narrowed, rageful tears springing forward. Faster than even the Arbiter could react beyond the widening of his eyes, the man moved, closing the distance and slamming a fist into the young jaw hard enough to _hurl_ him back and away to slam into a tree. Trembling the man stood where he'd struck him, hands slowly lowering and fists uncurling.

Finally, he spoke.

"No one wanted me, Oz. I was _cursed_, as far as anyone was concerned. Damaged goods." The man spoke, voice soft and trembling with pain and emotion frayed and breaking as he spoke. "I gave my life to you, _convinced_ my team to trust you and give themselves to this fight, because you gave me a place in this world… I thought I was finally doing some good."

"But you _are_…"

"I destroyed my relationship with my sister, and with my _partner_, for you. Summer _died_ for you." The man grunted quietly, ignoring his words entirely and turning his back on the ancient man. "Meeting you was the worst luck of my life. We'd all be better off without you."

"Maybe you're right…"

"Enough of this foolishness and self destruction!" The Arbiter finally interrupted, anger frothing unrestrained now. Stepping between them all he looked to each of them. Pleadingly he asked to Qrow's back, the girl's avoidant gazes, Ozpin's downcast eyes and his own mounting fury, "Are we not all allies in this war? Are we not on the same path, sharing the same duties? Salem is our enemy. Her immortality changes nothing in that fact."

"The hell it doesn't!" Yang snarled, stepping into his space as though to challenge him for it. When he held his ground she pressed her chest to his abdomen and stared up into his face, fearless even with him looking down on her. Pointing at the man sitting at the foot of the tree she demanded, "How many people has he gotten killed for this secret little war of his? How many people did he lie and trick into dying for _his_ plans? How many villages, _cities_ even, burned because of him? How many did he get killed-"

"Surely not as many as I have!" He bellowed suddenly, fury breaking forth as water from behind a crumbling dam. With a roar, he planted a fist in her stomach and _launched_ her back and away. Her Aura shielded her from it and she landed in a roll, coming up ready to fight. Instead of meeting her in battle, though, he bellowed, "Do you know why I was called 'the Destroyer' and by whom? I was dubbed as such by the Humans, for I had burned their worlds to glass and ash! Ten Human worlds I laid _waste_ to! Seas boiled, mountains reduced to slag, the very _atmosphere_ left to burn over fields of _glass_!"

"How many _millions_ do you think I killed to the ends of my own glory? Of the _Prophet's_ Great Journey of damnation?" He demanded, seeing and knowing well the looks of horror on their faces but unable to contain himself now. The rage and shame were loose now and, chest heaving and eyes wild, he couldn't contain himself. "I laid siege to worlds home to _hundreds_ of millions of Humans. I saw from orbit _thousands_ of cities like your Mistral. Schnee, how many live within the walls of Mistral?"

"I-I don't know exactly-"

"Guess!" He demanded, turning to her and glaring hotly for his answer. At her wide eyes and stammering he took a single step towards her and pointed a long finger at her, "You are smart, girl. Make an intelligent guess."

"At least four hundred thousand!" She answered, shock from the earlier revelations and the new one both compounding with the fear of his irate form glaring her down pulling the information from her. Like a font of knowledge, she rattled off like a machine whose only purpose was the recitation of information, "Mistral is estimated between four and eight hundred thousand, higher even than Vale which sits at around five. Atlas and Vacuo both lag behind with around three hundred to four hundred thousand and one hundred to two hundred thousand respectively. Exact numbers are impossible to keep track of due to exterior villages and their less than stellar record keeping..."

They all paused at the overwhelming, almost _too_ perfectly recited information and Weiss flushed, "I panicked…"

"I will take those numbers." Even the ones he hadn't needed, though she seemed to have panicked and let her mouth run automatically. Regardless, "I stood on the command deck of my ship over a world known to my kind as Atreus-II. And on its surface, I found a _hundred_ cities of that size. And all of them, I burned to _glass_. Their evacuation shuttles I ordered destroyed. Their shelters, breached and slaughtered."

"But it wasn't your choice." Ruby tried, voice quiet and weak. He turned to look at her and her eyes widened. "You were… Tricked. You only did what you had to, because you were tricked."

"As Shipmaster, and later fleetmaster and more, I was not required to take to the field. Not required to fight personally, blade in hand. And yet, I did." The Arbiter argued simply, raising the quiet blade to look at its rune covered, ancient and new surface. Quietly, he finished, "I did so because I _wanted_ to do so, fooled or not. Because I found honor in the works and sought to bloody my blade with the lifeblood of the _heathens_ I was ordered to butcher. Because I _enjoyed_ it."

"And so before you judge _him_," he finished, striding past them and away to find somewhere quiet, "perhaps you should judge _me_. For I know which of us carries the gravest sins."

Because if they thought _Ozpin_ was a monster, what could they possibly think of the Arbiter after all he had done?

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

The Master Chief hadn't known true fear outside a handful of scattered instances, spans of years and decades between them.

He'd been afraid when he laid down in the augmentation berth, and again minutes - or hours, it had been hard to tell - later when he could make out the screams of his fellows dying far too soon for their augmentations to be finished. That had been the first time he'd felt true fear, deep in his gut like a lead weight. Soon enough after he'd been afraid again in the same deep seated, primal, _shameful_ way, shoved forward by his friend as a superheated ball of plasma slammed into him and killed him. A death on delay, but a killing shot regardless, compromising his suit's integrity and trapping him aboard a Covenant ship scant minutes before it was erased in nuclear hellfire.

The most recent was aboard the _Mantle's Approach_, unable to fight off the Didact's powers. Trapped, unable to move properly and fight him, while over their heads an orange lance wiped out hundreds and thousands of innocent souls. People he had been charged with protecting, _erased_. Relegated to a hellish eternity as Promethean Knights, at the service of the monster that had killed them, because _he_ couldn't stop the creature. And again, minutes later, as Cortana said her farewells in the wake of the _Approach's_ destruction. Another comrade dying in his place, even if technically she would have died _with_ him had she not acted as she had.

It felt like the difference was immaterial there, in a way he couldn't comprehend. Or _process_, beyond rote compartmentalization procedures they had all been taught.

"The Arbiter is missing in action?" He asked, deep voice rumbling around the small barracks room he and Blue Team shared aboard the _Infinity_.

"He has been for over a month, yes." Lasky, the only other person in the room, answered. Hands clasped behind his back he stood at complete ease, and for good reason. Five Spartans, even out of their armor and unarmed, were a better bodyguard than most could hope for. Continuing, the man explained, "We, the UNSC that is, were informed two weeks after his disappearance."

"Which coincides with our assignment to the _Infinity_ and the two weeks _we _have spent in Slipspace pretty nicely, too. Funny, that." Linda pointed out, the other three Spartans' gazes flicking to her in the slightest gesture of confirmation.

He added a curt shake of his head in a chiding gesture and she shrugged ever so slightly, averting her gaze in a silent apology. To which he responded with a small nod of acceptance before turning his gaze back on the admiral. Quietly, he guessed, "You want us to find him, then, Admiral?"

"Technically, ONI and HighCom want you to _try_ to find him. Officially, I have no opinion on the matter. And no right _to_ one, either, given my station." Lasky smiled, though, letting the Master Chief know his thoughts well enough. When the Spartan nodded to show he understood the message, the man went on, "_Officially_, I have been ordered to transport your team to a UNSC ship refitting station where you will board a light-Prowler designed for fireteam transport and covert operations."

"Micro-Prowler, sir?"

"Indeed, Blue Two." The man nodded, looking around the small room and asking, "I trust you all understand the operation and usage of a so-called 'Micro-Prowler'?"

"We do." Chief answered for them all, knowing they did without even needing to answer. The concept was simple and old. Older, even, than any of them. For Lasky's assurances, and at the man's raised eyebrow that asked for it, he explained, "A small ship approximately one hundred yards in length, half that in height, and the same in width. Typically used for ONI operative insertion, exfiltration and transport on clandestine operations."

"And _this_ one is outfitted to crew and transport a four to seven man fireteam. Fitted with MJOLNIR Gen-II maintenance and outfitting rigging, as well as an armory the size of the Infinity's." The man left his opinion on an ONI ship like that, with stealth systems _and_ meant to deploy Spartan fireteams - else why include the MJOLNIR maintenance and outfitting systems at all - entirely unsaid. Frowning, he added, "This model also comes equipped with a prototype, hence the size, light MAC battery."

"On a _Prowler-class_ meant for squad detail?" Linda almost gasped, caught off guard more by the technology than the idea itself.

MAC weaponry was such that typically, only capital ships, select frigates, and stations could field any of them. Power to fire them and the sheer _force_ of them meant that too-small ships could shake apart or overload and detonate if they tried to field them. Ammunition would be light, he was certain. And the power draw would no doubt cripple the ship for a short time after firing off a MAC round. But to have one at all, and in such a small, agile package as a Prowler meant to be manned by a _fireteam_? That was an advantage that couldn't be properly put into words.

"My sentiments exactly, Spartan." The admiral chuckled, allowing himself the smallest of treasons in their company. Blue Team he might not have known, but the Master Chief he did. And they had an understanding. Back to business, the man finished, "Your ship is already docked with the _Infinity_, and your armor and weapons have already been transferred aboard. We will drop out of Slipspace in five minutes on the edge of Sangheili space, which _you_ will cross to reach the planet and begin your search."

"Yes, Sir."

"And do it _quietly_. If the Storm Covenant confirm he is missing, they will slam against the Swords of Sanghelios." The Chief nodded his understanding and frowned. Lasky returned the nod and went on, neither needing an explanation on what a ghost op was or how important the _ghost_ part of the name was. "I volunteered to serve as your navigator, but was refused. Instead, I have a volunteer for you. Roland?"

"Already transferred to the _Black Sun_, Admiral." The AI reported, voice chiming through their barrack's communication speakers. Normally, they carried alarms and orders to ship statuses. Now, they carried telltale snark and surprise. "Did you know this thing has a light plasma pulse cannon?"

"Check your talk, Roland." Lasky chided, eyes hard. The Spartan understood the reason why. One never knew who was listening, after all. _Especially_ with ONI involved. Regardless, the Admiral gave them a nod, "Dock twelve. A datapad aboard will appraise you of mission parameters, and of the ship's weapon complement insofar as you need to know. Roland will handle navigation and weapons systems, if you need them. The details are under lock and key, though, unfortunately."

"Respectfully, Sir," John grunted as he stood, "We're already gone."

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

He walked through the silent, empty forest for the gods only knew how long, blood roaring in his ears and mind awash with plenty to stop him counting the passage of time. Visions of fire, plasma and glass danced before him and his chest heaved. He remembered the first world he had burned, the _pride_ he had felt. The adrenaline and joy at watching the Human city below, its people and defenders having been corralled into it and until an hour earlier protected by a ground-to-space battery, gleam for a brief moment. Then a nod, a barked command, a _thrum_ through his ship, and the city was gone. _Millions_ dead, wiped out in supposedly holy fury.

Roaring in rage and hatred he spun and slammed a fist into a tree hard enough his shields flared and the bark splintered. Pain lanced up his arm as well but he ignored that. Instead, his mind turned to the Prophets, and their cursed Journey. Once again he closed his eyes and found himself on the gas refining station beside the first Halo he set his eyes upon, staring at the 'heretic', Sesa Rafum, with hatred and rage. So great had his foe's distrust been that even as the Oracle - the _monitor_ who would rob from him a friend - made to answer his questions the Elite had attacked him.

How different would things have been had Sesa allowed the Oracle time to speak? Would he even have listened? Would listening have accomplished anything good, or merely propelled him along a different, doomed path? Without the Demon and Johnson's aid at the last moment, he would not have forged his alliance with the Humans. And without _that_ alliance, and their militaries fighting as one the Rings would have lit the sky as they had once so long ago, and Earth would have fallen to the Parasite. In the end, Sesa would have always been a victim of the Covenant.

Be it by the Arbiter's blade he died upon, or the firing of the Rings that would have extinguished his life. In both cases, it was the Prophet's orders that took his life. Such was little consolation to the blood he felt on his hands for killing what _would_ have been a comrade, yet such was still just as true regardless.

Small footsteps in the snow broke him from his considerations and he sighed, speaking loudly so they would hear, "Young Ruby, I should have known that you would come to get me."

"She didn't, actually." The more refined voice answered, quiet and withdrawn. Turning, he was surprised to find the Schnee standing there, one hand on a tree to lean on to keep from falling in the deep snow. Gesturing at a gnarled root beside her, she asked, "May I sit, Arbiter?"

"I… Do not own this forest." He answered, giving the pale woman a curt nod. "You may sit where you like, youngling."

"Thank you." She murmured, looking paler even than she normally did. Smoothing her skirts under her and drawing Myrtenaster so it wouldn't sit awkwardly, she took her seat on the gnarled root, ignoring the snow covering it. Twiddling her thumbs she asked, quietly, "Did you… Did you really kill all those people?"

"I did." He sighed, turning to her and rucking his cloak around him more snugly against the cold. More calmly now that he had reigned in his emotions, he explained, "I was charged with the duty of it as part of my military career. I did enjoy the violence of it, as I told you, but only for my deluded beliefs in the Covenant."

"And now?" She asked, "How do you feel?"

"Disgusted." He answered honestly. Just as honestly, he added, "Were I not bound by honor to lead my people in the wake of the Great Schism, I would have followed my brothers into the afterlife for my shame."

"You mean…?"

"It is honorable for a warrior so shamed as I am to seek death in battle or take his own life. Some of higher status, or with warriors they consider as kin, might request another do it for them. But all is the same." He answered simply. Many former Honor Guards of the Prophets had dones so, some after the Schism had ended and the Covenant had been struck down. Some Ship and Fleetmasters had done so as well, once they had finished the fight, though less of them did so than the Honor Guard. Quietly, he asked, "Why did you come to see me, Miss Schnee?"

"I… Know a thing or two about being judged for things you are made to do. Or made to tolerate, at least. More than most of the others." She smiled and added a small shrug, "And besides, Ruby is busy convincing everyone to forgive you and let you come with us."

"Forgive me…?" So easily? He was shocked, and that must have shown on his face, for the woman smiled and nodded.

"Ruby is a kind person. She understands and believes that you regret what you did, and wouldn't have done it if you hadn't been lied to and tricked." Weiss grimaced and gave him a look, though, thinking for a moment before she sighed. Voice firm she asked, "I need to hear you say you would never do such a thing again. That you would never just… Just _murder_ so many innocents."

"Not without just cause." He murmured, thinking of the Parasite. When her brows furrowed in worry he added, "There are horrors in the black and bleak of space that I would not burden you with, child. Even if it aids me."

"That's not good enough." She challenged instantly, voice high and hard. "You may not want to, but you _owe us_ honesty. What is a burden for us is none of your concern."

"...It is called the Flood." He explained simply, censoring his words for the worst of the horrors it could perpetrate. "A parasitic organism that seeks to consume all in its path. Your body is broken and weaponized, and your mind raped for an eternity. Knowledge, skills, the locations of other survivors, you _voice_ to lure them to their damnation…"

"It sounds horrible…"

"Indeed." She couldn't possibly comprehend the Parasite, he knew. And he felt little rush to elucidate her further. Such would only be cruel, regardless of her demands of the whole truth. Rising, he asked, "Should we not return to the others, though? I would hear their minds on the matter."

"I mean… Sure." Weiss sighed, hopping up and dusting the seat of her skirt clear of frosty powder. Smiling thinly in a way that _screamed_ of mental, as well as physical, exhaustion she shrugged. "It's probably been long enough for them to cool off and come to terms with… Well, with all of this."

"Indeed." And he hoped she was right, too. He didn't wish to part company with them, kinda as they were and dangerous as their surroundings were.

The walk back was longer than expected for a handful of reasons. Most obvious being that as short as the young Huntress was, his natural gait had to be slowed to accommodate. Massively so, in fact, as the girl seemed in no rush to get back to where they were going. Lost in thought and still processing what had been revealed, both by the Arbiter and the old spirit in Oscar's body, he supposed. He couldn't fault her, truly, and so voiced no complaints for the slowness of their walk.

"_And it grants them more time to calm and process besides."_ He reminded himself as they walked, contenting himself with looking at the snowy landscapes around him. And distracting himself as well, as unhealthy as that could be, should he let it fester. He couldn't help himself, though.

The snow laden forest was breathtaking and serene, after all.

When they reached the others, the group was quiet, but not distant. Ruby smiled weakly and waved to him, stood between her sister and the Faunus. Both looked to him, the former with suspicion and resignation and the latter with something approaching pity and sympathy. Oscar and Qrow were nearby, sitting at the base of a train car, the boy's face buried in knees he'd tucked to his chest. The man, for as distraught and broken as he looked, stood nearby, nursing his flask and watching Oscar.

Whether out of _anger_ or _care_ the Arbiter couldn't tell for sure.

"Children." He greeted warily as he reached them, head bowed and hand well away from his sword in case they would be afraid of him. To Yang he added, "I am sorry I struck you as I did."

"It's fine." The woman shrugged, "Caught it on my Aura. No harm no foul."

"Arbiter, I..." Blake started and then paused, flinching. Thinking, and doing so very obviously. Finally, after a long moment, the Faunus gave up and simply sighed. "Ozpin is gone, Arbiter."

His eyes narrowed and he turned to Ruby, a silent question in his gaze that she was ready to answer, "After you left, everyone was quiet for a moment. Then Oz said he'd 'let us lead from the front for a while' and just… Vanished. Receded back into Oscar's head, and won't come out."

"Oscar says he can feel him there, though. His presence, I mean." Yang offered, turning a mournful and almost maternal gaze on the boy. Quieter, and clearly concerned, she added, "He… Asked us to give him a minute. We've already gotten our crap together, mostly. But we're giving him his minute to process."

"I shall guard him then while-"

"No!" The blonde shouted, catching them off guard. Wide-eyed for a moment when he turned to her, she flushed and chewed her lip, avoiding his gaze. "I-I mean, Uncle Qrow has it already. You don't, you know… Need to."

And she didn't want him to, he knew, reading between her lines and feeling his heart sink for it. Suspicion and fear, and shame in the eyes of some of those who regretted feeling it. He was used to such from Human companions, and saw it reflected to varying extents by the four girls. He'd have to readjust to receiving it from then, now. Nodding, he only rumbled, "Then it is so."

"We just need time." Ruby murmured weakly, his great head turning to look down on her. In spite of their proximity, she didn't balk from his gaze. A good sign, he felt, and one that reassured him. Smiling, she went on, "What you said was… Well, I can't really wrap my head around those kinds of numbers. None of us can. But…"

"But you can wrap your head around the fact that I took Human lives in numbers you cannot comprehend." He guessed, the four women nodding. Returning the gesture, he rumbled, "I understand, and do not hold against you all any of it. You ask for time, and time you shall have from me."

"Thank you." Ruby hesitated, then, for a moment. Finally, she grabbed his wrist and lifted his hand. In his palm, she set the Relic, glowing and emanating an odd warmth. His eyes narrowed and turned to Ruby and she explained, "You're the strongest of us, and… And you deserve a chance to prove we can trust you."

"But such a thing is… I can't..." The Relic was far too valuable, to his mind. And to the mind of the others, too. Xiao Long seemed ready to snatch it from him, only her partner's hand on her Human arm staying her, and even the drunken Huntsman was watching them like hawks. He turned to look past the young warrior at Maria, standing a yard or three away, but she only shrugged and smiled, showing him she had no intention of helping him. Pushing it towards her, he argued, "I cannot possibly take this from you. I will earn your trust another way, but this is too valuable. Too precious."

"_I_ am the leader here, Arbiter." Her voice was suddenly harder than steel and her eyes were narrowed. He blinked in surprise and then her eyes softened and she stepped away. Smiling she shrugged, "I'm the boss here, Mister Arbiter. And what I say, you do. If you don't wanna _carry_ it then drop it in the snow. None of us will. But if you want us to trust you, you need to trust _us_ first."

"I see." He turned his gaze to the others, searching for any that would argue or take it from him, but none did. Even the elder sister seemed unwilling to argue with her leader's decision, even as she pursed her lips and sighed. Finally, seeing no one coming to his aid, he sighed and hooked the thing onto the back of his hip. Planting a fist to his heart he bowed his head in respect, "I will guard it with my very life and honor, Field Major."

"Field Major?" The girl asked, raising an eyebrow.

"If you are meaning to command me, then I will treat you as such." He answered simply, mandibles quirking in a Sangheili smil. Technically, he'd have outranked a Field Major. But the effect was the same nonetheless, and if she thought to command him and let him earn trust through enacting her orders, he would do so. Stepping aside, he gestured for her to go ahead of him and grunted, "After you, Field Major."

"Okay _that_ is gonna get weird…" She stepped by, though, calling out for the others to get their gear together. As the two older members of their party called back their affirmations, and Qrow started trying to get Oscar to his feet, Ruby turned to him, "None of that 'Major' stuff unless we're in a fight, though. It's too weird."

"As you say." He chuckled, adding a small and hopefully mood lightening, "I hear and obey, Field Major."

The girl only groaned, exhausted, anxious and upset still but warming as the time passed. Now the worst was gone, and he knew they didn't intend to force him away, he too began to relax. Several of their party kept a watchful eye on him but neither the Faunus or the Schnee balked from walking beside him. Why, he couldn't be truly sure, beyond what little the Schnee had said of sympathising with him.

But, he found, he did not _care_.

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**Until his eventual arrival, the Master Chief's story elements will be few and far between. However, as I intend on them intersecting, I felt the need to show you enough to get you going on what to expect.**_

_**For quick context the Prowler in question does NOT exist in canon. It is fan-made by me, using my understanding that A, Oni would **_**totally** _**develop a ship like this and B, Oni's Section Three would definitely be experimenting with minor plasma weaponry. Especially given that the **_**Infinity** _**has plasma based energy shields.**_

_**The **_**Black Sun** _**isn't overpowered though, rest assured. It has no shields, can barely move for a while after firing it's cannon, and only has enough ammunition for a short combat duration with any of its weapons. It's designed for transport and space-to-ground support during operations. **_

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**Seanklovett :**_

**Glad you are enjoying it!**

_**Combine :**_

***maniacal and distant laughter***

_**Mr Doctor (Guest) :**_

**I hope to satisfy your hopes!**

_**CT-7567Rules :**_

**Thel does not, in fact, have any other weapons. He has shields, a plasma sword, and a small knife. And no, it won't be enough. Aso, CT-7567 does indeed rule. I may do a story with him one of these days…**

_**E Prince 200 :**_

**About that~**

_**Minecraft :**_

**I personally assume one to one and a half million, to account for genetic diversity **


	7. As Above

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**Official Supporters: **_

_**Priests, **_**The Impossible Muffin**_**, **_**Xager the Chaos King.**

_**Adeptus, **_**Private Wilger**

_**Ze Nope Rope, **_**Kaiser Snek, Snekiest Snek**

_**Acolytes, **_**DigiDemonLord**_**,**_ **Cheeseberry**

_**Initiates,**_ **Greg Gibson, Espa Cole**_****_

_**If you want to be on the Supporter list, PM one of us for details or join our private server for details. Hope you enjoy reading my stories, please leave me a comment to let me know if you did, or where I can improve. Link here, where able to be seen : **__** /2UZncAm**_

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_**Darkvampirekisses**_

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

"It looks eerie… I don't like this." Ruby murmured when their little group wandered to the little gate of a moderately large farm.

The snow was thick upon its buildings and the day had begun to grow late, yet no light came from them. And at the blonde brawler's yell, no one emerged from the dark houses, nor did any answer come. In the oppressive silence's wake, and their reasonable hesitation, Qrow shoved forward between them and pushed through the gate. When Ruby called for him to wait he only waved her off and grunted, "Better a creepy roof than freezin' to death in a blizzard."

As though in response, the wind howled and slammed into their backs, shoving the smaller among them forward a bit. Tucking his cloak around him he rumbled an agreement as he stepped over the threshold and into 'Brunswick Farms'. After a moment, his companions followed him in, walking in the drinking Huntsman's wake. As they walked he looked around, keen eyes knowing the look of a farm long since left without care. Loosely hanging fencing, broken gates, missing fence posts and even the uniformity of the snow buildup. Normally, one could see shallowness where snow was routinely cleared from paths, but here there was no such deformities to the snowdrifts and mounds.

Which meant that it had been abandoned since before the fall, at least.

"I see no signs of combat." He observed as they reached a well set into the ground in front of what he took to be the main house, larger and more impressive as it was.

"Yeah… It does, and I don't like that at _all_." Ruby nodded in front of him, one hand resting on Crescent Rose at her waist. After a second she turned and pointed to Blake and Yang. "You guys check the barn over there. See what you see. Weiss, Uncle Qrow, you take the other house back that way. Oscar can wait here while the Arbiter and I check the main house."

"Why him?" Weiss asked, giving him an apologetic smile when he turned to look at her. "I mean why not _me_. As in, why not her _partner_?"

"This is a central location, and this setup means we all have someone good in close quarters." She answered simply, turning and pointing a long finger to her sister first as she started to explain, "She punches people really good, you have a sword, Weiss, and glyphs that work indoor, and the Arbiter has a sword too. Oscar stays out here because, uh… Well, you know. He's not... Not like us."

"I'm the weakest fighter." The boy nodded, smiling sadly at it and shrugging when Ruby panicked a little. "Not saying a lot, being the weakest around you guys, so don't sweat it. I'd rather you call me weak than let me get eaten trying to be nice to my ego."

With her orders given and explained, they broke apart to see their assignments done as they'd been told to. Being larger and more suited to the enclosed environment, as she had so wisely observed, he led the way into the main house. The inside was dark, the house's lights either switched off or lacking power, but simply tugging open the curtains as they went was more than enough to light their path. The white snow saw to that, even with the blizzard slowly worsening outside blocking much of the sun's rays.

Inside, the house was as untouched as the outside had been. The den to their left was dusty but otherwise clean, logs set in a rack beside a nice fireplace waiting to give them warmth once they completed their rounds. Beyond the stairs was a bar of sorts, well stocked with spirits both in the bar proper and beyond, in the storage room they could see directly down from the door. It was even full of candles, sitting all around the bar and melted partially down in the way that well-used candles oft were.

"At least there is food for us to eat after we finish. I doubt whoever it belongs to will have any need of it..." He observed dryly as they turned to leave the storage room.

Ruby only hummed, clearly uneasy and anxious, and he let the matter be. As they ascended the stairs a scent caught his nose and his eyes narrowed, one hand on his blade as the girl rounded the steps ahead of him. Before he could say a word she turned and pushed open a door, eyes widening as a scream tore from her throat and he moved. One hand slammed against her chest and shoved her back as he stepped between her and the door, energy sword snapping up and flaring to life on instinct.

All he found though, lit in blue by his glowing blade, was an empty room. Or rather, a lifeless one, for it was anything but _empty_. Resting in the bed, laid as though in sleep, were bodies. Ancient, dessicated and withered, but laid in the peace of sleep. As though they had-

"It's like they just went to sleep…" The girl murmured, laying a hand on his forearm to silently ask him to release her from where he'd incidentally pinned her to the wall. He did and she stepped by, tugging her cloak across her mouth warily and stepping by him. While she looked around he held his blade high, to better light her path. Looking at the bodies she asked him, "Why would they have just laid there and died…?"

"Disease, perhaps." He rumbled, stepping into the room and turning an eye on the bottle beside the table. Dust laden and cobwebbed, but full of water. With a foot, he nudged open a cabinet door and found old boxes of crackers. "Certainly not starvation, though. And I find it difficult, if not impossible, to believe they starved to death. And further, if they were ill, where are the signs of it?"

"No medicine, no tissues…" Ruby sighed and stepped back, towards the door. "We're going downstairs, Arbiter."

"Indeed. This place is… Wrong." He rumbled, bowing his head and looking down on the dessicated bodies. Gently, he moved to them and bent low, tugging their blankets up to cover them and let them rest somewhat more peacefully. "I would bury them, were I able. But alas we have no time, and too much frost in our way."

"Yeah…" The girl answered, her voice quiet in the way of people who sought to respect the dead. "When we get to Argus we can maybe send someone to bury them."

"It is as you say, young one." And it would have to be enough, he supposed, sighing as he felt all of the day's events suddenly slam into him. The battle, the revelations and, of course, the long walk to the farm. Turning to her and rising, he bowed his head and smiled tiredly, "By your order, then, Field Major."

"Pretty sure I told you not to call me that..." She sighed, chuckling quietly and waving for him to follow her out. As he followed her she sighed, shoulders slumping tiredly, "Forget it, Arbiter, it… It doesn't matter. Shut the door, though."

He did so without comment. The dead deserved their peace, after all, even if they kept their secrets either way. Downstairs and outside he found the others, shoulders slumped in fatigue, anxiety or both as they stood around the well. At a wave of his hand, his words snatched away by the howling of the blizzard, they began to bustle into the big house. Better a warm house with corpses in the bedroom than a blizzard that would make _you_ one, he supposed.

"It's the same in the other houses." Qrow confirmed when they were safely sheltered and Ruby had gotten the fire going. Leaning against the doorway and scowling, the man went on, "Most of 'em were laid up in their beds. One was laid up on a couch, like he'd conked out for a nap and just died there."

"Why would they do that, though?" Blake asked from the couch, sitting beside her partner and shaking her head in disbelief. She counted her examples on a hand as she went, "They had food, so they didn't starve. Firs are safe to light and burn and I don't smell any gas, which I _would_, so it isn't _that_. And there weren't any signs of medical treatments either, so an illness is rolled out."

"Bandits, maybe?"

"Would'a been bullet holes then, kid. Prolly worse, too." Qrow dismissed, waving a hand around them at the _very_ good looking farmhouse. Then he swung up an arm hidden behind the doorway, a bottle of fine rum in his hand. A half empty bottle, he could tell, but a bottle nonetheless. "And they would'a taken all the loot, too. The booze definitely, even if they had to get in 'n out real quick."

"You're already that far through a bottle...?" Ruby asked, sitting with her partner by the fire. He only shrugged instead of answering, and she sighed, shaking her head tiredly. Sounding resigned to that fact she moved on, "Look, we don't know what happened. But the blizzard is on outside, we have a fire here, and we have space. Let's all just… Get some rest and we can head out in the morning. Is that… A good plan?"

"You kids do whatever you like." Qrow grunted, pushing off the wall and turning his back to the room. Waving a hand over his shoulder he called back, "I'll have you all up at dawn. Get some rest so we can get out of here."

"The plan is a sound one, my young friend." And if her uncle would not praise her for it, he would, sitting on the floor beside the door with his cloak tucked around him. In spite of his steady tone, though, he found it a fight to keep his eyes open. He was tired in a way he hadn't been in years, since the battle of the Ark at the least. But he pushed on regardless, forcing himself to keep his steadiness, "Rest is what we need after such a long day. And the sooner we sleep, the sooner we leave."

"Food maybe, before bed?" Young Ruby tried, holding up a can of beans and smiling tiredly. "Warm tummies for good rest?"

"In the morning. Too tired right now." The girl's partner mumbled, turning around and curling up on the floor with her back to the fire. When Ruby complained the girl only whined, "In the morning or right now, it doesn't matter."

"I just…" The girl sighed, blinked, and pinched her nose in the way he'd seen Humans do when fighting off their own headaches. Only a few times, of course, but he made a point of memorizing Human gestures when he could. Finally, she sat the can down and flopped onto the floor beside her partner. "You're right, it doesn't matter… G'night, guys."

"Night, 'Rubes." Yang called out amid a chorus of other goonights being tossed around the room, before she turned to him with hard eyes.

His own furrowed but she said nothing, simply turning on the couch and tucking her legs under her to rest. The suspicion and anger was clear enough to see, of course, but he found that he didn't mind it. He was used to such reactions from Humans, and while he had grown equally used to these younglings' lacking of it, he knew better than to complain about it. Such simply wasn't something he had a _right_ to complain about.

"_It doesn't matter."_ He told himself as he closed his eyes and felt sleep reaching for him.

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

The sound of smashing glass and Ruby shouting brought him from his rest, the Elite surging to his feet while she snapped, angrier than he'd seen her yet. "You were _supposed_ to get us up at dawn, Uncle Qrow! It's past noon, now, easily! How are we supposed to get to Argus in just a few hours on _foot_?"

"I-I didn't…" The Elite rounded the corner and sighed, seeing the reason for the girl's agitation. Sitting in his chair, and surrounded by empty bottles, he could _smell_ the reason too. Looking to him and then back to her, he stammered weakly, "I-I don't even remember drinking all this, Ruby. I don't… I don't…"

"Uncle Qrow just…" The girl sighed, hands trembling beside her as she seemed to force herself to calm down and take a breath. Quieter, and conscious of the others in the room next to hers, she shook her head and laid a hand on her uncle's shoulder. Guilt-ridden and shamed, the man avoided her eyes, but she spoke regardless. "Uncle Qrow, if something is wrong, you can _talk_ to me about it. You know that, right? You don't have to carry it all on your own."

"Yeah…" He stood and coughed, clearing his throat and swaying to the side a bit before he caught himself on the wall beside him. To the blonde, who'd been woken up by the noise, he asked, "Kid, think you can check the barn for a wagon or somethin'?"

"Sure." Yang nodded, taking a half-step before her partner was at her side.

"I'll go with her." Blake volunteered instantly, adding when the blonde woman's brow furrowed in agitation, "We don't know what's out there. _No one_ should go anywhere by themselves."

"She is right." His words were unwelcome, judging by the blonde's pursed lips and furrowed brow, but he went on regardless. Better angry with him and breathing than pleased with him and dead, he felt. "We know not what caused the deaths in this place, young Xiao Long. Nor how or when. It would be safest if none of you traveled alone in this place, for fear of such dangerous unknowns."

"...Whatever." She finally sighed, "It doesn't really matter, I guess." In a more friendly tone, and smiling slightly, she turned to her partner. "C'mon, Blake. Let's see what we can find in the barn. Gotta be a cart or something we can hook up to Bumblebee."

"Bumblebee...?" He asked when the two had gone, turning to Ruby and cocking his head.

"Her motorcycle." Ruby answered while her Uncle got to work cleaning up the scattered bottles under her watchful gaze. Blinking slowly, like a thought had occurred to her, she turned to him and raised an eyebrow, "You… Know her motorcycle's name, Arbiter."

"I do?"

"I could swear you've heard us say it more than a few times."

"Ah, I see..." Now that he considered it, he was sure he had as well, though his head ached as he tried to recall when. Or why he had forgotten it, for that matter. Shaking the ache and the confusion both off he shrugged. "I suppose I forgot, with everything that has happened over the last couple days. It matters little, in the end, really."

"Yeah…" She nodded and grimaced, holding out a hand. "Can I have the Relic?" He made to ask why and she cut him off, smiling apologetically. "Sorry, it's not… I wanted to ask you to keep a lookout, maybe walk the farm in case anything tries to come up on us. But the Relic attracts the Grimm, so…"

"So keeping watch and patrolling while _attracting_ the same kinds of attacks I am meant to prevent would be foolish." He surmised, getting a nod from the small woman in return. And though he had suggested they all stay together as best they could, being a far older warrior than any of them, he thus saw himself as the exemption. Retrieving the bauble from his waist he handed it to her and bowed his head simply. "Then by your leave, Field Major Rose."

"Y-Yeah." She nodded, giving him a small and nervous wave. "See you in a bit."

Outside, the world was white but still. Chilly, but bright and without the howling wind that set the cold into one's bones which had plagued them yesterday and howled through the night. The path in front of the house had been cleared, and a puffing young farmhand on the porch gave an easy suggestion as to why. His muddied boots and the shovel beside him settled it, and earned a nod in greeting and thanks from him. He took half a step to leave when the boy returned it and then hesitated.

The boy looked about ready to break down, sitting on the porch and staring a hole into the ground at the end of the steps.

"I am about to go on patrol." He finally sighed and said, grabbing the boy's attention. "If you have the small knife I gave to you, I would be honored to have you beside me, youngling."

"Why?" The boy asked quietly, waving at his head with a single small, gloved hand. "Ozpin is gone. I can barely fight without him there telling me what to do."

"I asked for _you_ to accompany me." The Arbiter pointed out simply, "I did not ask for your… Parasite, young one." He was loathe to use the term, loaded as it was for he and his people, but such was simply the case. Offering him a hand up, he rumbled again, "Now, would you accompany me? I merely wish to walk the perimeter and seek to clear this headache."

"You have a headache too, Oscar?" He asked, earning narrowed eyes but a nod from the young man. Odd… Ruby had shown signs of one and he had one as well. That they all would have an aching head at once was strange indeed. "I wonder what could be… No, it doesn't matter, really. Would you care to accompany me?"

"Sure." The young man smiled, standing with the Elite's help. Dusting himself off he sighed, "A little walk to clear my head sounds nice, actually, so-"

"Oscar!" A voice called, the duo turning to the sound to see Yang down the way, waving a hand for his attention. Beckoning him over, she called, "We found a cart and some chains! Think you can help me fix its tire and hook it to Bumblebee?"

"Sure! Be there in a couple minutes!" He called back, smiling but letting out a tired breath after. Giving him an apologetic look, half-smiling and rubbing the back of his neck anxiously, he started murmuring his apologies.

"Leave it and see to your tasks, youngling. As I will see to mine." Oscar stammered something sounding simultaneously like an apology and a complaint and he laughed, nudging him towards her and turning his back on him. More sober, he turned to the boy and gave him a meaningful nod, "I shall return in a few minutes, youngling. I should like to depart this place, if possible."

"I mean… Yeah." He nodded, smiling tiredly and turning to look at the cart that was just visible through the door the two women were dragging open. Old, rickety even, but with good enough looking wheels and heavy chains slung around Yang's broad shoulders. "I'll, you know, see what I can do. No promises, and Dust am I tired, but..."

"Did you not rest?"

"A bit." He answered, grimacing. "But I had a bad dream, and couldn't really _rest_ properly. You know what I mean?"

"Hmph." He did. His own rest had been interrupted a dozen times by the feeling of being watched, or a chill up his spine. Like someone had walked on his grave, or cursed his bloodline. But then… "It doesn't matter. We just need to get this over with and we can rest again. Properly, this time."

"Yeah…" He sighed, "Yeah that sounds nice."

"Oscar?"

"Coming!" The boy shouted back, giving him a last smile of apology before jogging away heavily.

The sound of their work was swallowed quickly as he wandered away, heavy boots punching deep into the blizzard blown snow of the night prior. The houses, true to expectation, were silent as the graves they were as he passed by, headed for the field that adjoined the farmhouses. Old tools, farming machines and furniture rested where one would have expected them to. Albeit covered in snow and in places rusted from exposure and lack of care over the gods only knew how long, it was readily evident how hard working and invested the Brunswick farmers had been. Even the farmland showed their drive, finely squared and with what would have once been well made fences of wood and stone surrounding it.

Now, it was a ruin. With all the work and drive that had gone into it a waste of time, and its purpose turned to naught but hosting ghosts. Well, ghosts and those who made themselves welcome with them. Like so much of Sanghelios itself, now, after the Great Schism and the Breaking of the Keeps… Both of which he had caused, which often made him wonder if _he_ wasn't the problem's true source. A foolish notion, of course, given the Covenant and Storm Covenant's beliefs and desires. He knew as much.

And yet it was like a weight on his shoulders, dragging him down and setting his head throbbing anew. A strangeness in and of itself, the throbbing ache that had persisted since his waking...

The heavy _thud_ of wood slamming against wood pulled him out of his musings and around, back to the house he'd passed only a moment before. He didn't _see_ anything in the windows, but the door was ajar. As though it had been blown open by the wind, or opened by someone inside the building. One of their number, maybe, looking for supplies or tending to the bodies. As limited as they were in how they could handle-

A flash of brown and green in an upstairs window caught his eye and he flinched, mottled like rotten wood and leaves. A familiar color that set his stomach spinning and his legs moving, carrying him to the door before he could think. His leg snapped out and his arm snapped back, kicking in the door in the same moment the Bane roared to life. Inside, the house was sparse and homey in the way he'd expect of a quaint little Human settlement. In a far corner, rather morbidly, a small wooden rocking horse sat for the young who had lived here to enjoy.

The dust, cobwebs, snow and ice from a window long ago left open to what would have been a nice breeze, and hellish red and orange light the Bane cast the room in somewhat dampened the hominess of the dwelling, though.

When nothing attacked him in the entryway he stepped forward and slammed the door shut, all the better to hear a Floodling approach if he'd seen what he thought. Something which was impossible to be sure, but he'd learned to trust his eyes and instincts long ago. As he moved forward he heard and smelled nothing save the _death_ that had long since steeped the small house. Alcohol and size had protected the main one, but here there were no such protections.

He didn't smell the _corruption_ to the death that the Flood brought, though, and began to relax.

Before he heard the door behind him slam open and a voice cry, "Arbiter, there you are!"

He rounded on it on instinct, sword back to thrust up and into it, but was met with wide silver eyes instead of warped, mottled grey and brown flesh. The girl stayed still in the door, and he blinked, flicking his sword off and sighing. "Forgive me. I thought I saw something… Troubling, and you startled me."

"Are you okay…?"

"My head aches and I feel _wrong_ somehow, though I do not think I am ill..."Still, he felt wrong enough that he felt a need to report on the fact, at least. Pressing a hand against his forehead he shook it off and waved the girl's concern away. "What did you need, child? Is it time to leave?"

"Yes, but I need your help first." She nodded, "I saw something down the well and… And I dropped the lamp."

"You dropped the-" He cut himself off, mandibles pinching shut, and took a breath. Gentler, he asked, "What, exactly, happened while I was gone?"

"I think it's some kinda Grimm, it had the red eyes. I saw them, down the well, when I..." She trailed off, brows furrowing in thought and lips pressing into a thin line. Quietly, almost unsurely as though she doubted her memory or herself, she explained, "We were arguing and they suggested dumping the lamp down there to hide it. Then going to Argus and sending someone back, or just leaving it there where Salem wouldn't find it for a long, long time."

"And?"

"I dunno what happened but I- I was arguing with them and I was just _so tired_, so I gave in and…" She grimaced, and shrugged. "I was about to drop it, but I changed my mind and the eyes… Scared me. I jumped and dropped it, and now Maria and the others are waiting to go get it."

"And you came to me for help."

"Uncle Qrow is…" She grimaced, "Oscar is replacing the tire while we get it. So will you…?"

"Lead the way." He grunted simply, even if he did feel the urge to simply _leave_. He didn't know that a Grimm existed which could play with minds but one would explain much, and so he turned his attention on the menace below solely. "We must retrieve the Relic and purge these creatures. Especially if they are responsible for what befell the Farmstead."

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**Apologies for the late post. Like Couer, been dealing with a bit of illness - merely the allergies of the season - and a troll. Annoying but eh, such is life sometimes. Stay safe out there, all of you.**_

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**Seanklovett :**_

**I would say - barring supernatural buffs like Nora's electrical augmentation or Hare's speed - that they are comparable. Their strengths are **_**different**_**, as are how they use them, but I would roughly say they are comparable.**

_**Boonie :**_

**Glad you enjoyed it! It was hard to write, I felt, but I hope everyone feels as you do about whether I did it justice.**

_**CT7567Rules :**_

**Human? Definitely. But there won't be many, if any, Covenant weapons aboard the **_**Black Sun**_**. It **_**is**_ **a UNSC ship, after all. I have other plans for expanding his armaments, though, don't fret. And if I do a Rex story his gear would largely be set by the set-up for the story. I like both armor generations, though, so Iunno what design choices I would choose.**

_**Dr Killinger :**_

**Yeah, hopefully Ruby never faces anything like the Flood~**

_**Smokey Panda :**_

**Glad you like it!**


	8. So Below

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**Official Supporters: **_

_**Priests, **_**The Impossible Muffin**_**, **_**Xager the Chaos King.**

_**Adeptus, **_**Private Wilger**

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_**Acolytes, **_**DigiDemonLord**_**,**_ **Cheeseberry**

_**Initiates,**_ **Greg Gibson, Espa Cole**_****_

_**If you want to be on the Supporter list, PM one of us for details or join our private server for details. Hope you enjoy reading my stories, please leave me a comment to let me know if you did, or where I can improve. Link here, where able to be seen : **__** /2UZncAm**_

_**Second link here, remove ( and ) and it SHOULD work : D(i) (slash)kfhkfUb**_

_**I have a kofi account now, too, under this name for those interested.**_

_**Beta(s) : Darkvampirekisses**_

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

The tunnels beneath Brunswick Farms, meant to carry sewage and bulk water under and away from the farms for many obvious reasons, were surprisingly well built. High arches of finely made, reinforced wooden beams, spanning two parallel tunnels wide enough for the _six_ of them to walk nearly abreast. Admittedly, his bulk complicated the matter, but the _size_ was still grand for a rural farmstead. Strangely so, in fact, and he put the thought to words.

"It is." Ruby nodded, giving Weiss a look on her other side. "Weiss, isn't it weird? These tunnels, I mean."

"I guess so." The girl shrugged, looking for all the world like a woman _entirely_ exhausted, bored and wanting to be elsewhere. Tired she may have been but she was still smart, and some spark crawled its way back to life in her eyes for being able to show it off. A small one, her eyes still worryingly dull and shoulders slumped in defeat, but a spark nonetheless. "It's possible that the ground was unstable and uneven. Sinkholes, maybe. So they… Carved these out, reinforced them, and used them to level the ground."

"Clever."

"I guess." She shrugged, turning back to stare forward and mumbling, "It doesn't really matter."

It took a lot of his willpower to take note of the words, and recognize just how many things didn't seem to matter. Laying a hand across Ruby's small back he pushed her on faster, the girl squeaking tired protests as he did. Her team, though, barely murmured anything more than a 'hey, careful'. Out of ear-shot he leaned down, head over her shoulder from behind, and murmured, "You have noticed the strangeness, I trust?"

"Well, I mean, y-yeah." She nodded, leaning back into his and as he nudged her along, one hand raised to light the way with her Scroll's built in light. "Everyone's tired and-and _I'm_ tired, but… But it doesn't matter." She stiffened and gave him a look, fighting through the strange fatigue to look afraid, "But it _does_ matter."

"Indeed it does." And between them, Ruby and the elderly woman seemed the least beaten down by whatever was happening, somehow.

"Whatever you two are whispering about, can we just find this thing and _go_?" The brawler complained from behind them, gesturing at a skeleton that had somehow found its way down into the tunnels. "It stinks down here, and my feet are getting wet."

"And we're wasting time." Weiss added in a droning, aggrieved sort of way. The kind that told him even _speaking_ took a lot of effort and energy. "If it gets any later we'll have to spend the night here again…"

"I know, I know, guys. And I know that we do _not_ want that, with everything… Going on." Ruby called back, finally stepping to the side and away from the Elite to turn and look over her team anxiously as they walked. Whatever she was looking for she gave up on finding, or found and didn't like, turning back around and resting a weary hand on Crescent Rose's long handle. "We just have to find the lamp… Can't be too hard, and whatever I saw can't be _too_ dangerous or it wouldn't be stuck down here."

"I feel like Jaune would disagree…" Weiss chuckled, a low and weary sound that spoke less of being amused and more of feeling _obligated_ to laugh. Less amused and more aggravated, she sighed and asked, "Ruby, how much longer are we going to look for the Relic? I mean, no one is going to find it down here."

"We are _taking it with us_." Ruby almost snapped for the fifth time, sighing when her team grumbled behind her. "We can't leave it here, that's just _handing_ it to Salem. Now if I could just find it…"

"We could always just turn off our lights." Blake suggested boredly from the back of their group, walking with Maria behind her coaxing her. "Follow the glow, if we can find it. It's dark enough that we should see it fairly easily."

"Not a bad idea…" She turned a look on the Arbiter, though, and the glowing sword he held aloft to help light their way. Without it, he was sure she knew, he would be unable to fight. Which he knew she would suspect to be uncomfortable for him.

"First comes the mission, second survival and lastly comfort." He rumbled before she could even ask, flicking his sword and stifling its ruddy red and orange glow.

In its dying wake the tunnels were left in gloomier dark, which only deepened as their Scroll-lights were silenced. Some rare wall-mounted lights sparked intermittently to give off their own weak light, and more reflected from the entrances around the farm's fields. The result was that, though barely, they could see enough to stumble forward in the dark. Around one bend and then two, and a third. Until, finally, he heard Ruby squeak excitedly.

"There it is, finally!" She shouted as she jogged forward, boots splashing up mud and water as she went towards the blue glow of the Relic down the hall.

Igniting his sword to light the way now that they didn't need the dark, he led the others after their faster comrade. As they reached her he caught movement in the corner of his eye and looked up along with the rest of his comrades. On instinct, one hand snapped out to grip her by the cloak and yank her back while the other snapped out to the side, the Bane crackling in his fist as the girl stumbled back and her team gasped their surprise. And their fear.

Dozens and dozens of Grimm like he'd never seen before had packed themselves into the base of the well like rinkahs when the small fish were salted and packed into their boxes. Like emaciated Humans with overly long arms and legs and sporadic, bony plates, the creatures turned to look at them as one. Long fingers and arms stretched out towards them and he stepped in, cutting through the air between them and severing fingers and hands that had ventured too close.

"Flee!" He barked, turning and shoving Ruby forward and away as the creatures hissed.

Leading the way they ran, more of the creatures emerging from broken holes as they fled back the way they'd come. They rounded one corner and came into the main path, the exit visible a dozen yards and more away. Though only just, through the spindly bodies of more of the emaciated Grimm. The path around to the well was full of them as well, and that left only one way that wasn't straight into the horde of strange, slow moving creatures. Turning, they fled up the other side of the two main tunnels, following along the right to avoid the lethargic creatures coming over from the other tunnel.

"I see a room over there! Like a basement, I- Ah!" He spun on a heel, sliding in the mud, and lunged. His fist closed around the creature clutching her hood's arm and the other, armed with the Bane's power, removed the limb.

As it staggered back and hissed in pain they continued on, rounding a corner into a little storage room a few more yards up. As above, where he suspected the bar was, the moderately large basement was full of crates, canned food and stored furniture. A single staircase led up to safety, and he let the children move towards it first, turning to watch the two exposed entrances with the blonde brawler beside him.

"It's locked!" The Schnee called out in a panic, all exhausted gone now that adrenaline and terror had flooded her systems. "Yang!"

"On it!" The blonde called as the creatures started to round the far corners, red eyes locking on them.

She made it to the stairs and he heard her go up four of them before the creature's eyes _glowed_, like coals stirred by a breath of air across them. With it came a staggering pressure that pushed him back a pace and to his knees, groaning. Beside him, the Faunus collapsed in a heap, robbed of all will while those behind her staggered and collapsed themselves. He heard Ruby moan out Blake's name as the creatures closed on her and rose, staggering forward and managing a weak, graceless flail to force them back before he sank to his knees beside her head. Through sheer force of will, he got a hand around her arm and snarled, turning and practically hurling the disabled Faunus a few inches back and away, leaving himself the closest target for the creatures.

"My will… Is my _own_, creatures!" He snarled, surging to his feet and slamming a fist into the nearest grimm's face, caving it in.

The next he carved in two with the Bane, stumbling forward and bowling down a third. It hissed and his hand closed around its neck, crushing it under his weight as he forced himself up and lashed out, cutting another down at the knees before falling onto his back. Forcing himself up he was met with glowing red eyes and green, warped faces that set a chill into his spine. Hissing, the red-eyed Floodlings reached for him, claw-tipped tendrils crawling towards him, and he panicked shamefully. Abandoning his sword he crawled back, eyes wide and feral.

A brief burst of light blinded him for a moment and, when he opened his eyes, the creature's were gone. Ash and smoke, and nothing more. Though he heard more sloshing around behind the walls and rose for it, retrieving his silenced relic-weapon and staggering towards the others. Blake, stunned but recovering, stumbled as she rose and he caught her by the arm, shoving her forward and turning his back to the door once more.

"What was that flash I saw? What happened? Where'd the Grimm go?" Maria called as the group recovered and Yang's feet continued another few steps up towards the door.

No one answered, though, as more of the dark creatures rounded the corner. Their eyes glowed once more, and this time even hotter, and the pressure returned. This time, he couldn't stay standing and buckled back and down, collapsing at Ruby's feet, the Bane flickering and dying as his grip slackened. Where terrifying and shocking him had failed, _draining_ him utterly seemed to succeed better for their ends, and his consciousness failed him. Or rather, his sensation did, words faded to distant warbles and world draining of color as the creatures closed with him.

Another, this time far brighter, flash filled the room a heartbeat later. Like a sun blooming into being and burning away the dark of the Grimm, and the fog that they had forced onto them. Rising and once more taking up his weapon he looked around, seeing and hearing nothing but the distant sloshing of yet more Grimm further away. The heavy bang of wood cracking and exploding stole his attention, though, and he turned.

"Come on!" Yang called, stood at the top of the stairs and waving them up. Once her partner passed her by she was gone and he followed.

Up the stairs they found themselves in a small storage room he swiftly identified as the one from the main house. He could even see the bar through a door, the girls rushing through it and towards the front of the house. At least now they knew why it had been locked, he supposed as he followed them.

"Wait we can't leave yet!" Weiss suddenly snapped as Ruby led her to the exit, the Elite pausing as she grabbed full bottles of rich alcohol and hurled it away.

It smashed open on the ground and the drunken Huntsman surged to his feet drunkenly, swaying and barking an indignant, "Hey! What're you doing?!"

The Schnee didn't answer, though, instead grabbing more bottles to add to the pile of alcohol and then raising her weapon. Slashing her hand through the air she sent fire crackling out and into it. It caught and spread swiftly through dust, dried wood and even more of the alcohol stored in the room. As the Grimm came up the stairs they found only fire, which caught on them and spread down, into the storage room below.

"_Now_ we can leave." The girl grunted simply, striding away while Ruby dragged her struggling, grunting and protesting uncle away.

A Grimm howled in pain and rage and his eyes widened in realization. Silent as the grave, he allowed himself to be dragged out now. And just as silent, he followed behind them. Outside, they found Oscar finishing bolting on the tire and began loading up onto the old cart he'd hooked up to Yang's motorcycle. It roared to life and they cruised away, leaving in their wake a cursed farmstead and a burning home to ghosts.

On the road he listened intently as Maria read from a journal she had taken from the home. At the last, she sighed and closed the book, "Foolishness… Using the Grimm to try and get an edge, utter foolishness."

"I have seen such before." More than once a fool had sought to use the Flood as weapons, he knew. And just as many times and more, he was sure, that had resulted in such wasteful destruction. Sighing, he shook his head, "Were I able, I would cleanse the entire farmstead with orbital plasma."

"That would destroy everything…"

"A lesson to ourselves and to all, to never make such a suicidal decision as that." He nodded to the young Faunus' quiet words, "And assurances that all the beasts were destroyed. I weep that we can not be certain of their annihilation."

"They're called the Apathy." Maria murmured as they rode, speaking only loud enough that they could hear her over the wind and engine. "Where other Grimm rip and tear at whoever they see, the Apathy terrify and drain their targets. Once their targets are too scared to fight back they drain them of their energy and move in. Or they do what they did to the Brunswicks, and simply… Drain away their will to go on, until nothing is left."

"Talk like you know 'em." Qrow grunted, the first words he'd said since they left the farms.

"I fought them once or twice, before I lost my eyes." She smiled, turning to watch the path behind them like she was contemplating something. For a quiet moment, she sat there, running a hand along her cane affectionately. "I used to be a pretty famous Huntress myself, back in the day. Before I lost my eyes to those bandits, people called me the 'Grimm Reaper' everywhere I went."

"Wait, you're… You're _the_ Grimm Reaper?" Qrow laughed when she nodded, all fear and loathing gone as a childish smile crawled across his face. "I can't believe it! I-I modeled my fighting style after you- My _weapon_ is based on yours! Ruby's, too, by extension."

"I noticed." The old woman chuckled, turning an eye on the young Huntress beside her and smiling lopsidedly. "Not the only thing you have that's similar to what I did." When Ruby's brows only furrowed, the girl shaking her head in slight confusion, the woman sighed, "Your _eyes_, girl. They're silver, and you have the Gift."

"The Gift…?"

"What you did on the farmstead, to eradicate those… Apathy." Thel offered, the old woman nodding at the question in his words.

"Exactly right, mister weird alien man." He blinked at the words but she only smiled and laughed, looking down at the book in her hand. Tapping the cover she smiled sadly, "I won't agree with you if you say the Brunswicks were bad folk, though. Desperate, to be sure, and pretty dumb to boot. But they weren't bad people…"

Suddenly, she straightened and pitched the book high over her shoulder and off the road, into the snow. The Arbiter watched it land before he asked, quietly, "Why would you do that? Now none will learn from his follies, and the family shall fade into nothingness."

"I don't think a man and his family should be remembered for something like that." She shrugged simply, "And besides, people are idiots."

"'I won't make the same mistakes they did' they'd say." Blake nodded, ears curled down against the wind. Feline ears, he supposed, would ache in this kind of wind. His own head was covered by his helmet and hood, though, so he faced no such problem. "'_This time_ it'll work', and then another farmstead dies. Or worse. A village, or even a small frontier town, could die."

"I suppose…" His thoughts turned to the Storm Covenant and so many other factions, seeking to return to the ways of the Covenant. To many, a lesson in what not to do was more a lesson in what to do _better_. A shame, but, "A tragedy that their names shall be forgotten, but if you say it is for the best, I will trust your word."

"Now that _that_ is settled…" Ruby scooted closer to Maria, smiling mischievously, "You said you had eyes like mine, so can you teach me how to control alt delete Grimm with my mind? Ow!"

"_Not_ if you keep thinking about it like that I can't." Maria answered, cane coming back down from having bapped the girl on the head. "And not until we get to Argus, either. It's not safe out here, and I am _tired_."

"Well," Yang called over a shoulder, "Were here, so not a huge wait to be had."

The Arbiter could only sigh and let his head hang back, glad to be back out of the wild. If these kinds of creatures were the kind the Humans of this world faced every day, he knew he had to bring them help. The Apathy and their kind were dangerous, to be sure, but orbital bombardment solved all of life's problems.

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**A short chapter, but a free one done in my free time, because fuck me if I just could **_**not** _**get the ideas out of my head to work elsewhere. Lol. hope you enjoy and stay safe out there. Just treat this as a continuation of the last chapter.**_

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**CT5767Rules :**_

**It would, yes, but that is probably why they like to hide and move in packs.**

_**Dr Killinger :**_

**They'll be back next chapter~!**

_**Kpmh :**_

**In the show, they seem to effect perception as well. They make Blake see Adam, for instance, and later make Yang see the stairs stretch out away from her as they try to escape. I interpreted that as you see here.**


	9. Argus - Part I

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Entry to Argus by way of foot and wheel had to be made via a grand gate set into the high wall, built to seal a large cleft between the mountains that guarded most of the settlement. Their little road stood as one of many, which merged into a grand highway a hundred yards out from the gate. Signs helpfully marked out which lanes were for what, presumably to help manage what would normally be packed lines of comers and goers. Now, though, it stood bare of any major traffic. Distantly, down the road, a handful of vehicles, horse-drawn carts and walking people came or went from the city, but nothing which would explain the need for sheer size that the entry gate and road had seemingly been built to meet.

Though the distant pockmarks and gouges of weapon's fire and claws, of combat between men and beasts, did nothing to instill confidence in them as they made their own approach.

Beyond the gate a row of armored, glass fronted booths waited to tend to the few people that would pass in or out. Each was the same armored little pod, big enough for an occupant or three, though the roads that led to them were not. One was wide wide enough for a Wraith to trundle up its paving, while another was thin enough that they would have to proceed one at a time. They opted for a wider one that was marked for 'mixed groups, vehicle and foot', Qrow and Oscar at the front and the Arbiter himself taking up the rear.

Presumably, that was because they wanted to get signed in properly _before_ they had to deal with the first contact situation.

"Name and identification please." The Argus gate asked boredly as the last of the girls stepped forward. Quietly, Weiss introduced herself and slid her little plastic identification card through the fist-sized slot made for the purpose. He barely glanced up to her as he checked the card, scanned it, and handed it back flippantly. "Welcome to Argus Miss Schnee. Whatever brings you here, I hope it goes well."

"R-Right." She nodded, anxiety evident in her stiffened shoulders and curt nod. Turning to look a few feet back at him, his hood drawn up and cloak closed around him, she sighed, "I, uh, suppose we may as well get this over with…"

"Name and identification please." The attendant chimed distractedly, as if urging even a Schnee to hurry along so he could be left alone. As the Arbiter stepped forward, he never even looked up from whatever he was reading.

A shameful dereliction, to his mind…

"I'm afraid I don't have any identification for you." As respectfully as he could muster, straightening to his full height and _finally_ drawing the man's attention onto him as he sighed tiredly. His mouth opened to doubtless explain that he couldn't let him in without it, but his words died in a quiet little whine. Amid it, he rumbled his introduction, "I am the Arbiter, Thel Vadam. Slayer of Truth, Breaker of the Covenant, and wielder of Prophet's Bane. Leader of the Sengheili who stand under the banner of the Swords of Sanghelios, and an ally of Humanity on your world if your people are amenable."

"I don't…" He blinked, "What are…"

"I think you broke him." Yang laughed, sitting on Bumblebee on the other side of the little entryway with her arms crossed and a smile splitting across her face. "_Might_ wanna get movin', Arby, before he sounds the alarm or somethin'."

"I doubt he would do so, but I suppose I should." Quietly, for fear of scaring the man further, he leaned down to meet his eyes and rumbled just as he'd been told was appropriate, "Take me to your leader, Human. I wish to establish contact and negotiate treaties of accord."

"I-I'll just go call her here, uh, sir!" The man panicked, standing so abruptly his chair fell over as he made for the door.

"Odd. I thought I said it right." Straightening he turned to Ruby, who stood stiff as a rail and red-faced. Confused both by the man's reaction and her and the other's red faces and barely contained chuckling, he asked, "Did I do it improperly? I thought I introduced myself exactly as you said I should…"

"No, you did it just as Ruby told you to." The Schnee sighed, shaking her head. Though she sounded pained and embarrassed, he could see the little smile she tried to hide. And though he wasn't adept at it, he could hear the same humor in her voice, "And _that_ is exactly the problem. You listened to her, and she has _zero_ decorum, so you made a fool out of that poor trooper…"

"As though the hat didn't do that already…?"

"What is wrong with his hat?" The Arbiter asked Qrow, cocking his crest-helmed head with the question. Qrow and the children chuckled as he stepped over the little rod used to block the path for those waiting in line. The ease of it only seemed to amuse them more, the Arbiter looking to Maria as she shuffled closer to him, "I thought the hat was rather impressive, if I were to be asked myself. Tall, powerful."

"Yes, yes, we all get it. Big ol' scaly boy likes his big ol' hats for reasons probably best left unquestioned." Maria droned, reaching up to grab his great hand, easily large enough to close around her entire head if he so wished it. Small and weak for her advanced age, she couldn't _really_ drag him towards the gate, but he let her lead him in regardless. "Now come on, you giant idiot. We can at least wait out of the wind, yeah?"

They weren't made to wait long, stood just inside the gate to the city with the girls circled around to the side facing the city to shield him from prying, judgemental eyes. A kindness he accepted, even if he hadn't asked for it, their group waiting together while Ruby traded messages with the others. Within half an hour he could make out the sound of an airship, strange engines thrumming with a strange beat that nonetheless thrummed through the air around them in a way that to one who had served so long with Phantoms and Spectres was familiar.

The craft in question was a white transport, belly round and tellingly wide, with long wings whose tip-mounted engines were turned at an angle. Lift and propulsion, like the Pelicans of his Human allies. A design that he had come to respect, offering superb control for those whose technology didn't have the gravity generators of the Covenant. These new craft's weakness was also shared with the Pelicans he had fought against and beside. A well-placed shot on the wings could sever them, and the engines themselves were exposed. A weakness he and his men had made use of many times.

Under it, splitting the crowds of the streets further into the city and around the gate both, came a procession. Machines came first, silver and white with rifles across their chests. Occasionally, the first row would split off, moving to the side of the road and standing patiently, facing the crowds watching to secure the route. More machines followed, massive and lumbering with pilots visible behind round view-ports and heavy, mounted cannons on one arm. The other formed a hand, those on the outside carrying massive shields akin to the Hunters he had fought with.

"What is going on…"

"A parade, young Ruby. It would seem that I have stirred some commotion." He rumbled, slipping by her to stand at her front and standing to his true height.

As the procession came to a stop, the ranks parted, machines facing outward as though watching the people around them. Last came men and women, two ranks deep, who fanned out inside the circle behind the wall that their kin had made for them split between watching the steadily assembling citizenry and their small group both. Above the whole affair the air-ship listed and turned, door swinging open. Its side doors slid open and heavy machine guns turned on them, wary and threatening.

At last, led by two men in crisp black and silver with impressive hats and straight backs, a woman approached them. A dwarfishly small one, but then, he knew better than to judge creatures on their heights. The Unggoy numbered in the many amongst the Swords of Sanghelios, and he had long since learned of their fearsomeness. And so he rose to his full height and threw back his cloak to better show his ornamented armor and sigils, to command the respect of his new peers.

"I presume that you are the leader of your garrison here in this settlement?" He rumbled as she approached him, flanked by her bodyguard. Behind him, he heard his friends shift and assemble, as though to play the same part. Or equally likely, simply in reaction to the rather overt Atlesian display.

"I am." She nodded, looking him over swiftly and judgingly before, finally, nodding her head in respect. "I am Garrison Commander Caroline Cordovin. Charged with the defense of the Argus Limited Transmission receiver and and the Argus shipping port as well as, by obvious extension, the settlement itself."

"And I am the Arbiter, Thel Vadam." And whether her guard had reported his titles or not, he went on, putting on airs to impress the woman's underlings as well as her. He had long since learned how much the opinions of the lower ranks could affect diplomacy after all, and if Atlas wanted to put on airs he would answer in kind. "I stand as the Kaidon of Vadam Keep, an ancient and noble line. I am called the Slayer of Truth, Breaker of the Covenant, the Sword of Sanghelios as well as the leader of the organization of the same name and the Friend of the Demon."

"Quite a lot of titles, if I might say so." The woman answered, taken aback but, more importantly, seemingly impressed by his oration and image. So he'd been right in his estimation of her, then. Easily impressed by titles and projected grandeur. The useful fool went on, though, and he gave her at least the _veneer_ of the respect that her stance and raised nose told him she so desired. "I'm quite afraid I don't have such titles. I am merely the Garrison Commander, sent by Atlas to keep this city and its people safe."

"Indeed, such is obvious to me." He turned his head to look over the assembly and rumbled, partially amused and impressed. "You have brought much to meet with me. And yet, to my eyes, they seem tense. Not for fear of one single Sangheili, I hope?"

"Nothing of the sort." He flicked his gaze up at the hovering craft and, amused, the woman chuckled. Shaking her head, the woman raised a hand and flicked it in a silent order. At it, the craft turned, turret now at least faced _away_ from them even if it could easily be snapped around to cut them down with the same sort of easy order. "There, I hope that is better. Forgive me, but even with the grainy feed from the booth, I couldn't tell if you were really an alien or just another Faunus plot to start trouble."

"You have a problem with Faunus?" Yang asked sharply, stepping up beside him.

"In small numbers, no." The woman answered, turning a gaze on Blake behind him. "_One or two_ can be tracked and monitored, after all. And dealt with, if they make any trouble in my city."

"You little-"

"I would thank you not to insult my bodyguard so blatantly, Garrison Commander." Thel interrupted, stepping in front of the blonde and her partner both. Cordovin's eyes widened and her mouth opened, but he knelt before she could speak, leaning closer to her and growling his threat, "This is meant to be diplomacy, after all. Would you truly risk angering a potential ally for something so petty?"

"No." She answered, stepping back for space but disguising it with a sigh and turn, to look out at the city. "I apologize for the insult, Arbiter, but you must understand that my city is beset by these… People. Crime is up, and such coincides with a heightened White Fang presence. And all _that_ entails."

"But we broke the White Fang at Haven." Blake said, confused, "Ad- _Their leadership_," she amended, "should still be broken."

"You speak like an expert on the White Fang's leadership." Cordovin said as he stepped back to allow them to speak directly, with her stood directly opposite the group he'd traveled here with. She gave him a look at that but, seemingly still at odds over not knowing what he wanted or what he had to offer, she went along with his nod to the Faunus woman. "How, if you don't mind my asking, do you know how the dis_gusting_ little cancer that is the White Fang operates?"

"I-I…"

"She served in the White Fang, a long time ago." It was the Schnee who answered, earning an overtly surprised blink from the Atlesian commander for it. And for her phrasing as well, doubtless. Seeking to balm the news, she added, "And both she and her parents led the Faunus from Menagerie to defend Haven against the White Fang attack. Send word to them and you will hear all about it, I'm sure."

"And I don't suppose she served the proper time for her criminality?" At her words the woman's two guards shifted, hands moving from behind their backs to hang by their hips and hover over weapons.

The Arbiter, though, was _far_ faster.

"Take care what threats come from your mouth that your hands cannot enact." He rumbled, arm outstretched and the Prophet's Bane crackling threateningly in the air between the two groups. Peering over his sword-arm down at her, he gave the soldiers a long look and added, "Or shall this meeting of hopeful allies end in bloodshed?"

"You'd die to defend a criminal?"

"No, I would not." He answered simply, giving the girls a look with his other eye before turning back to her. Voice a rumble of intimidation and authority, honed by years of service in the Covenant and after, he spoke to her, "You and your men are within the arc of my blade, however. And so to avoid spilling your blood and cutting our way out of this place, I recommend you set aside the sins you see in her past and listen."

"Fine." Cordovin finally granted, eyes on what to her must have been a strange weapon. As it lowered and its fire died, she turned from him to her and back to him again, "But she _will_ consent to wear a tracking device while in my city. Any attempt to negotiate on _that_ will be met with your expulsion from my city. I can't risk the safety of Argus regardless of your sentiments and threats."

"Blake?" The Arbiter asked, turning to her, "What are your thoughts on this?"

"Do I really even have a choice…?"

"Gates are right behind us, you know." Ruby answered before he could, resting a hand on her shoulder and turning a look on her team around her. Even to him, he noted with no small amount of comfort. To Blake, she offered simply, "We can just leave and… Find another way to get to Atlas."

"Yeah." Yang added with a shrug, folding her arms over her chest and glaring daggers down on Cordovin. "We don't have to do whatever the little gremlin wants us to."

"Excuse me what did you-"

"Oh come off it already, Cordo." The eldest among them finally snapped, apparently fed up with their games and shuffling around them while the woman bristled. In spite of the commandant's glare, the woman went on almost whimsically, cocking her head to the side, "Your city's scared, and you want to play the big bad badass to make 'em all feel better. But _maybe_ you should stop and consider what this 'Faunus' brought to your door, hmm?"

"I don't know what that is, yet."

"It's a ten freakin' foot tall alien warlord with a glowing sword and balls of _titanium_, Cordovin!" The woman shouted suddenly, like a steaming pot whistling its angry tune. Pinching the bridge of her nose, the old Huntress took a breath and sighed. Then she pointed up to him and said, "_He_ is an alien warlord." Then she pointed to Cordovin, "_You_ are a representative of Atlas, who he wants to speak to. So get. It. Together."

That said, she shuffled by and into the city while they watched, without a care for the soldiers in her way or seemingly anything else.

"She is right, so I will propose a compromise." The Arbiter rumbled in her wake, drawing Cordovin's gaze back onto her. And an impressive enough wake it had been, even by his own metrics. "You will escort my allies to meet my _other_ allies who arrived before me. They will stay under watch while we go to your base and make a call to your General Ironwood, and _he_ can settle our disputes."

"...Very well." At a wave and a shouted command, several machines and troopers came to her side. The escort he'd suggested, to keep watch and show them through. As they left, headed to where young Ruby had apparently been told to meet the others, she spoke to him quietly, "I don't think it will be quite as easy as you say, however."

"Why not?"

"Our long range transmitter is damaged beyond use." She answered as the craft overhead descended to allow them to embark. At a nod, he joined her, and she explained as the craft began to rise, "A recent bombing spree. Many buildings were damaged, lives were lost, and the transmitter was damaged. Until it is repaired, we can't contact General Ironwood, even for materials and supplies."

"Unfortunate…"

"Indeed." She nodded, "And so for now, we will negotiate between ourselves, at the base."

He nodded and fell silent, content to wait until their arrival to continue their conversation. Cordovin seemed to be of the same mind, and none of the soldiers inside the craft broke the silence either. And so their journey, quick as it was, went by in a rather tense silence. A tension which he would wager was only prevented boiling over by the veneer of diplomacy and the diplomat's manse.

But he had the peace, and saw no reason to break it.

The Keep he was brought to, he had no other word for it, was as grand and powerful an affair as the parade to meet him had told him he ought expect. Three islands of varying sizes had been built up into fortresses, with high walls and aircraft buzzing around and between them like a swarm of hornets, ready to bite and sting any who came near any of the three metal hives they called home. The first two were simpler affairs, heavily fortified with their silver walls and high towers and what looked like liftable bridges spanning between them with only one connected to the city itself.

A _very_ defensible fortress to say the least, able to rescind the bridges at will and forcing them to fight from one fortress to the next in any case.

The last was a greater affair, though. A fortress built onto and into a great stone spire that overlooked the harbor like a monolith. Recessed into the rock he could see metal armor and, occasionally, a slat would open to allow craft in or out. They were themselves admitted by one of these little slats, hovering to a gentle landing inside a great hanger that circled around an armored hulk of some description which dominated the center of the structure. What it was, he did not ask as he disembarked, simply following the small woman as she bade him to.

He was swiftly led into a simplistic, small office of sorts, dominated by a desk at the far end and with only one other door in the corner beyond it. To one side, just inside the door, was a metal bookcase brimming with tomes of various sizes and states of wear. While she eased into her comfortable looking chair, her guards took the time to make their exit, pulling the door closed behind them.

"Now, we can talk more candidly." The woman sighed now that they were alone, the Sangheili moving to stand opposite her desk. Wearily, the woman repeated what she had said earlier and expounded even more, "As I said, contacting Atlas High Command is currently impossible. Our transmitter's long range connection systems were sabotaged during the last few White Fang attacks. Technicians are working on the matter, but…"

"But it will be some time before you can contact your leaders." And thus, some time before _he_ could as well. Unfortunate, but if nothing could be done then nothing could be done, and so he nodded. "Perhaps we could borrow some of your craft and men, then, and fly there by ourselves?"

"If I could afford to have an element gone for a few days I wouldn't be in such dire circumstances." She sighed, shaking her head wearily andresting her arm on her chair and her chin ini the palm of the same hand. Nodding to him, she went on, "I only even mustered what I did to meet _you_ because I anticipated an attack of some kind and wanted to be able to disperse my forces quickly through the nearby areas."

"You came to meet the ambassador from another race anticipating a _battle_?"

"I _anticipated_ meeting a Faunus that some random guard freaked out at. I _anticipated_ nothing out of the ordinary. Instead, I find out that the man was telling the truth." Chuckling darkly she shook her head, " Honestly, 'Take me to your leader'? That is what you said, so what else was I really supposed to think?"

"My apologies, Commandant of Argus." He rumbled in a mix of amusement and anger. He would have words later about when and where to inject comedy. But for now, they had more pressing concerns, "I am sorry for your troubles, but you must understand, I can offer none of my people's power until I can speak to them. It is _beyond_ imperative I reach Atlas as soon as possible."

"And why should I help you?"

"I carry the power to negotiate an alliance between your people and mine." The Arbiter rumbled simply, eyes narrowing.

"No you carry the _claim_ that you can build an alliance that would benefit Atlas." She argued quickly, moving on when he made to speak, "You have no proof of anything except that somewhere, on Remnant or not as impossible as it seems, your species exists. Your armor is fine but without knowledge of your culture from a third party you lack any evidence that by your people's standards it means anything. In short, you have no proof that could motivate me to risk Atlas' security to help you."

"Indeed I do not." He did not bother to point out that by 'her people' he had meant her race, not her nation. But a fool such as this, so fixated on nations and borders as she seemed to be, would have obviously come to that conclusion.

"Further, your situation is worsened by who you travel with." Reaching out, she pressed a button, bringing up a holographic projection of Blake's face. Beside it were words that, backwards as they were from his vantage, he couldn't make out. Luckily, she seemed happy to elaborate for him, "Blake Belladonna. Her parents founded the White Fang and she worked with them for years, presumably up to some point around two years ago or so, prior to joining Beacon Academy. A criminal."

Next, was a picture of Yang Xiao Long, "Assaulted a student in the Vytal Festival. Allegations have been made that the team in question was involved in the Fall but as she didn't know that, it was still a criminal act. Again, a criminal, if one punished by the judiciousness of Atlas."

"Maria Calavera." She read on as again the picture shifted, this time to that of the old ex-Huntress they were traveling with. "Misdemeanors numbering in the dozens. Yet again, a criminal. And finally Qrow Branwen, himself not a criminal but _related_ to some which have plagued Mistral for a decade. The so-called 'Branwen Tribe'. Bandits and murderers to the last man and woman."

"And now, my companions and guards." He said simply, uncaring for their pasts to the last. "Their circumstances are irrelevant to me. And further, irrelevant in _relation_ to me. Why do you mention such things?"

"Because, Arbiter, you have to understand." She answered, flicking the images away and pressing her fingers together, looking at him as he imagined one might look at a child saying something particularly silly. "You come to my city with criminals and terrorists, and no evidence of who you say you are beyond your word. And then, based solely _on_ your word, you ask me to help you get to Atlas to negotiate some 'alliance'. Tell me, would you agree to such a thing if you were in my position, defending a city practically under siege?"

"...I would not, no. Not without grand proof to show your words as truth." And it pained him to admit it, but he could not deny it. She had a large point. Even if her justifications were so easily dismissed from his perspective, _his perspective_ was not from a position of power in these talks, and so it was largely irrelevant. So, he asked, "What, then, would you ask of me to prove myself and earn your aid?"

"Well, for starters, you could-" She cut off as a light on the metal desk lit up, chiming for her attention. Another flick and a new file came up, this time with its screen blackened on his side. She scowled, then, and rose to leave angrily, "Forgive me, Arbiter, but there's been another attack. I must see to the response."

"An attack?" He rumbled, turning with her as she stepped past him to head towards the door. "On what?"

"A primarily upper class, Atlesian school." She answered quietly, refusing to meet his eyes and shaking her head. Without turning to him, and for reasons he really didn't know or care to know, she elaborated, "Classes were in session and a bomb went off. Apparently, reports indicate that it was manned by our droids. Stolen and reprogrammed, most likely, but…"

"How old?" He asked, voice a growl that brought the woman's attention to him. Blood roaring when her eyes met his, he demanded, "How old were the children at the school?"

"Primarily below eleven, but above six." She answered, "Why?"

"I am going." He said by way of answer, striding to the door ahead of her and slamming a fist into the wall by the door, snarling. Outside, the guards started, yanking it open to ensure he hadn't done anything untoward, but he didn't care. Instead, he almost bellowed, "If these… These _beasts_ killed even a single child, then by all the gods, you will have my sword in cutting them down."

The woman didn't say anything in return, simply waving her men off and nodding. At her wave, he fell into step beside her, headed back to the hangar they'd only left fifteen minutes before.

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

**So the Argus Arc begins. And if people hadn't guessed already yes, I will be altering it significantly and extending it. Hope you enjoyed it.**

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**Cmedina :**_

**He couldn't outright delete their power, but his iron will **_**did**_ **play into the confrontation. I hope it did well, I was anxious about that confrontation.**

_**Super Saiyan 4 Vegeta :**_

**Hey, I haven't done that story yet.**

_**Cliffy Silver 66 :**_

**In 'The Lost Fable' we see her get disintegrated, actually. She reforms before kicking over Ozma's first reincarnation after their first battle. So orbital bombardment wouldn't even kill her, though they don't know that.**


	10. Argus - Part II

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He, Cordovin and her two burly guards quickly found and appropriated a sleek little shuttle for their purposes, departing with the speed that someone of her command could enable. Their craft moved with all speed, so that even hanging onto the overhead rails of the light craft he nearly fell twice. And yet for all that speed, it still felt like ages passed before the craft angled for a landing. The doors hissed and slid out, raising as the sounds of sirens and horns filled the air, and smoke and ash filled their noses.

Below them, a street stretched south and north, with tall buildings pressed tight and rising high one one side and what was unmistakably a school on the other. He had fought on enough Human worlds to recognize such a place. It was a simple, brickwork affair, shaped like a Human 'L' with a play area set in the space beside the street for the Human young to enjoy their break in and the 'L' curving around it.

Now, though, that playground had been flattened by the same explosion that brought down the third of the building set against the road. The explosion had ripped apart the streetside wall entirely, and blasted through the walls interior to it as well. Without the walls to support it, the roof had fallen in to form a hill to one side, sloped and broken by a handful of surviving, skeleton-like frames and walls which had survived the explosion. Huge holes had been dug in the rubble where white armor and uniforms glinted amidst the smoke still rising from the smoldering ruins.

For a moment, as he blinked, white and grey were replaced by khaki and green, and the calls of the sirens and soldiers were replaced by roars and the hissing of plasma. Then he blinked again and the sins were gone, replaced by equally tragic reality.

"Animals…" Cordovin murmured as they watched her men work. Some turned their gazes on him in question, but each time they did the woman snapped commands to send them on their way, establishing a cordon or assisting in the search and rescue. "Do you see now why I am not particularly fond of the beasts?"

"My blood boils for blood, Cordovin." He warned, only turning enough to look down on her. Her eyebrows rose at the word, having evidently expected this to change his tune. "I do not believe that insulting my comrade is a particularly _wise_ decision."

"Is that a threat…?"

"Yes." He rumbled, her guards stiffening behind her even as he turned back to the ruined school and added, "Though one borne of rage, rather than righteousness. Forgive me."

"It is done." And to his genuine surprise, it sounded as though she meant it. An oddity, given his appraisal of her. "I can understand your anger, Arbiter. This is… A tragedy."

"Indeed." He nodded, "And I am-"

"I need help up here!" A voice suddenly called, a soot-covered soldier scrabbling over the brick hill and looking around in a panic, his oxygen mask hanging around his neck. Cordovin stepped forward and he saw her and recognized her, practically begging, "We need a lift and a micro-cutter! We have students trapped under some rubble and a reinforcement beam!"

"A micro-cutter? For a beam reinforcement?!" She snapped back in answer, gesturing in spite of her words for nearby soldiers to retrieve one. "What's the spacing? The weight?"

"B-Barely a foot, Ma'am!" He reported, "At the base of the hole! We have to hurry- The smoke is thick down there. My helmet filters it..."

"A cutter won't get through in time…" Cordovin murmured, turning and bellowing, "Get a damn Paladin down here right now! Digging equipment set up! We're shoveling through from the front end to-"

"There is no time!" He snarled, hurling his cloak at one of her guards and loping towards the mound.

Two soldiers, on orders to cordon the area, were in his way but where he expected to be blocked they instead stepped to the side as he vaulted the stone fence. Scrabbling up the broken brickwork he was met by two more and the man who had called for aid who all helped pull him up to his feet, the soot covered soldier pointing down a deep hole framed by thick poles to tell him where to go. One of the three turned to him with security straps to allow him to climb down but he ignored him.

Instead of climbing down, he leapt into the darkness, dropping the dozen feet and grunting with the impact. It was dark, but the Bane illuminated the space well enough as ropes spindled down around him. Only one heavy steel beam could be seen, along with a gap at its base barely big enough for him to reach down and fit his hand through. A tiny hand found it, gripping so tightly his heart ached.

"You have taken enough lives, Bane." He murmured around the choking smoke as he pulled his hand free and stood, raising the weapon above one side so that the rubble would not shift. "Let us save some."

The Bane crackled and hissed its agreement, cutting through the steel with the eagerness it did through flesh. As the cut cleared through, the soldier from before reached him and ignored him. Kneeling, he shoved a small mask into the little gap and shouted, "Share this, kids! We have a lifter coming down in a few minutes!"

"No time." He rumbled again, shoving the Bane into his hands and ordering, "Protect this with your life, Human. And prepare to extract the children."

"For…?" In answer, he knelt, his powerful hands ripping up the broken wooden flooring under the ash and rubble for more purchase. Seeing what he was aiming for, the man stood and bellowed, "Get the damn rescue harnesses ready and watch the rubble! H-He's going to lift it!"

A distant, muted, "He's fuckin' _what,_" filtered down but he ignored it.

Hands under the cut beam he took a deep breath, choked on the smoke, and snarled. The weight was monumental, tons of bricks and iron heaped around the trapped children. To even attempt this was as likely to kill them as leaving them there. But to make them wait, passing around a small oxygen mask with a supply barely half his lower leg in size… That was as sure to be a death sentence as anything else could possibly be.

"If any gods would hear me," he rumbled, "grant me strength."

Mandibles clenched, he rested his head against the beam and closed his eyes. Then, with all the power of his mind and body aligned, he _lifted_. As hard as he could, pulling the beam up while the soldier watched. For a moment, his arms trembled and he feared he lacked the strength. For a moment, his mandibles clenched and his fingers ached, sharp metal edges biting into skin and bleeding him. A shame, among the Sangheili, to bleed outside of battle, but a shame he suffered gladly. For a moment, he considered turning to prayer that the lifter would arrive in time to aid the little ones.

Then, small hands gripped his own, trembling and frail. Afraid. Human children, afraid of death and clinging to he who would have murdered them and been thankful to less than a decade prior…

Roaring his defiance, he refused to fail and felt strength _rush_ through him like lightning. Finally, the steel shifted and rose, an inch at first and then another. Then three, and seven, and finally he could duck under the beam and hold the weight across his shoulders, pushing and lifting with his legs rather than his arms. Finally, the beam rose to half his height, the rubble beyond held up by a crushed door. At the edges, more brickwork fell in around the shifting door.

But three blackened, small forms scrambled towards him regardless of the raining debris. The soldier, kneeling, met each of them and pulled them through and into the great pit. A second soldier, hanging horizontally, took two in his arms as they began to cry and climbed up using the ropes securing him.

"Are there more?" He demanded of the soldier, trembling for the great burden on his shoulders. He ducked past him and looked, then came back and shook his head. And so he ordered, "Shield the child."

When he dropped the beam, it slammed down with a heavy finality, the rubble shifting around them violently. But no more came for them and he turned, looking down on a child that barely passed halfway up his thighs. Pale skin hidden under ash, she looked up at him for a moment, eyes wide, blue and afraid.

"You are safe, child." He assured her, sinking to his knees for his exhaustion and drawing choking breaths. To the soldier he ordered, "Get her out of here."

"You too. You've been breathing too much smoke for a… Whatever you are." He nodded, leaving her and standing as a pair of harnesses were lowered. Swiftly, the soldier strapped them around him and pressed the girl into his arms.

To Thel's shock, the girl curled into his chest, trembling and weak. His bare arm wrapped around her while the other took the Bane back from the soldier. The man shouted a command and he felt himself being hoisted up and out of the pit. More soldiers met him, helping him down the slope while he carried the girl before resuming their own search and cleanup. At the base of the slope two soldiers came to take the girl, who he handed off gently.

"T-Thank you…" The voice was so quiet he almost missed it in the cacophony, but he heard it just.

Kneeling, he bowed his head and resisted the urge to affect a smile, knowing his bared teeth would only frighten her. Gently, hearing the approach of Cordovin and her bodyguards, he answered swiftly, "You are most welcome, young one. Be safe and find peace."

"You saved three Atlesian lives. Put yourself in harm's way for them..." Cordovin murmured as he rose and turned to her, taking his neatly folded cloak from the soldier when he offered it. Face flat and eyes hard, she added, "I won't forget that, Arbiter. I owe you a debt."

"Three." He corrected, "And I would fold them all into one repayment."

"I have told you, the long range transmitter is disabled." She answered, genuinely looking regretful for the answer she had to give. "Had I the men, I would-"

"You misunderstand." She hadn't, in fact, misunderstood, but letting her believe so worked to his benefit. Politics, in a sense, and though he detested them he saw a way to turn their tricks to righteousness for once. "The favors I would like in repayment are two to the same end. The direction of these _animals'_ flight, and leave to hunt them without fear of reprisal."

"Reprisal…"

"Forgive me, but I presume that you do not exactly _encourage_ random persons taking law into their own hands." For effect, he took the Bane from his hip and held it up for her to see. Her eyes landed on it and, he noted, understanding sprang to life in them. "I would enact vengeance for this massacre in your stead, as your forces are so justifiably too busy to be able to."

"Officially, Atlas is not in the business of _revenge_, Arbiter. Such is meant to be beneath us, you understand." The woman countered, grimacing and looking to her guards. Without a word, they stepped closer and turned, forming a wall as though to hide her from view. "Unofficially… Our prisons aren't exactly _spacious_, though, Arbiter."

"I understand." And he took little shame in the thrill of pleasure he felt for the words. Pulling his cloak on and standing taller, he bowed his head in respect, "By your word, then."

"I'll have my men questioned and directions gathered for you." She nodded, snapping her fingers twice. Wordlessly, the two men set off, going between each of the soldiers and questioning them quickly. "For now, you have blood on your hands. Get tended to and come find me after."

Looking to his hands he found his blood staining them indeed, blue tracks stained onto his flesh. Turning, he found a medic already waiting and held his hands out, "If you would please."

"S-Sure." The man nodded, fishing out a sterile looking rag and washing his hands off gently, looking for the cuts that had shed his blood. After a moment he asked, quietly, "Do you have Aura?"

"No."

"I see." Laying the stained rag on his shoulder, he leaned down to inspect his hands and hummed again. Seemingly satisfied he stepped back and tucked the rag into a box on the back of a thigh alongside other detritus. "Well, the wounds must have been shallow. They're mostly healed up, so you should be fine."

"I see." He'd bled a lot for such small cuts… But such was nothing worth concerning himself about, and so he instead rumbled, "Thank you."

"No, don't thank me for doin' my job. And besides." The medic laughed, shaking his helmed head and smiling warmly. A gesture he had long since given up on _ever_ receiving from a Human. "Thank _you_ is more like it, for saving those kids."

He could only blink, flick his mandibles in surprise, and nod. Hearing small footsteps, he turned and looked down on Cordovin, who smiled viciously, "One of our soldiers on the wall spotted a group getting into a vehicle and fleeing. When ordered to halt, they redoubled their efforts and were fired upon."

"To any success?"

"They escaped." She shook her head, "But blood was found at the scene. A lot of it, too, for only a moment to have bled it."

"So they have a wounded comrade to tend to, then." And thus they would have to stop. A thought which brought a feral grin to his mouth. Pointing to their parked shuttle he grunted, "I will borrow this to head to the scene, if you allow it."

"It is yours." She nodded, "I'll have it refuelled for the tracking and-"

"I will pursue them on foot." He cut her off, "Lest they heard the craft coming, or see it, shielded as they would be in the forest."

"Very well." She nodded, turning and gesturing to the craft. "If you will, I will order your transport there and you may be underway, Arbiter. I will also send word to not expect you to your companions."

And so it was he returned to the front gate of the settlement, dropped outside by the shuttle before it lifted up and angled away. A soldier was waiting for him and, after a moment, he recognized him. "You are the guard who I-"

"Yeah, I don't want to talk about it." The man dismissed, apparently _more_ than put out by the joke which had been played on the both of them. Pointing at a spot up the road, he explained, "I saw the truck there, and that's where I shot at it, too. I've kept everyone off the road so you shouldn't have lost anything."

"I understand, and you have my gratitude." For a moment, he considered apologizing to the affronted guardsman. Instead, seeing and understanding how much the man wanted to simply _get on with it_, he simply nodded his thanks and was on his way.

As he'd been told, blood had been spilled in a burst along the side of the road. Beside it, tire tracks had ripped through the soft soil beside the paved concrete. These same tracks trailed away and onto the road, but the dirt itself wasn't important. That they didn't care enough about being followed to park on the _concrete_, and thus mitigate the risks of tracking dirt at all, spoke of over-confidence. And he could understand why, as stretched thin as Atlas was even without having to contain the fire, and deal with all that would come from it. They didn't expect they _could_ be tracked, and had never learned that overconfidence was a slow and insidious killer.

'_How kind of me to take time to teach them, then.'_ He mused amusedly as he walked back up the road, watching the flecks of dirt pass him by and looking for signs a vehicle had turned off the road. '_A Kaidon's lessons are, after all, something eagerly sought after and to be received with much gratitude.'_

Assuming, of course, one could _survive_ said Kaidon's tutelage. Though he had a suspicion that the Bane would have something to say to their chances…

Half an hour passed before he found what he suspected he was looking for. Just off the road, dirt had been churned up, more tire tracks like those he'd already passed leading to a line of bushes with a gap just his size in their leaves and limbs. Those which had filled the space prior now lay on the ground, broken and rolled over, but when he lifted the leaves they felt moist and alive. Dying to be sure, but still fighting to survive, like a warrior struck down in battle and bleeding his ichor into the soil.

"They ought to have found a quiet entry, or stopped to disguise theirs." Overconfidence, once more, would be their doom.

Rising, he followed a variance of tire tracks, broken limbs and plants, and damaged trees further into the forest. The trees themselves grew sparsely enough that the brush was common, but not chokingly so. Enough that he could have marched light armor through, if he meant to wage war. And so enough that their vehicle had little trouble traveling and _could_ have done so in a way that made hunting them difficult to impossible. Instead, they had as good as lit the path for him to follow, inviting him to come and take what he wished.

An invitation he could not ignore for dozens of little, ash-covered and smoke-scented reasons.

Another hour of tracking passed in relative silence as the day drew long and dark began to creep across the world's surface. This creeping darkness brought him advantage, though, rather than stalling him. Distantly, the glint of angled light on glass drew his attention and, when he looked closer, he could see the faintest trail of fire smoke beside a little grey truck parked beside it. Slowly, he knelt and drew his cloak off, leaving it there where it would be safe and not hinder him.

His armor, baroque and meant to stand testament as it was, had been spared no expense in its craftsmanship. The best shields, the best metal for the armor, built precisely to his needs and demands by the best armor-makers he could find and ply. And, of course, he had made certain that he kept one of his favored abilities from the silver, sanctified armor he had donned while he was beholden to the Covenant. Shimmering for the briefest second, the plating of his armor charged, refracting and reflecting the light around him as his press of the button so commanded.

Invisible but for the inescapable shimmer of refracted light and with the Bane in his hand, he made his way towards the light. Well trained as he was, he made his way forward, avoid the open places his shimmer would best show and watching his footing for anything which might make noise to spoil his stalking. At such a distance, a Human would have been unable to be heard, but he knew that the Kig-Yar could hear at this range and so suspected the same of the Faunus until he was proven otherwise.

As he approached, he heard the group talking slowly filter into his hearing even as he got his first look at his quarry. And though he wished for nothing more but to close with them and cut them down, his own history stayed his hand, for reasons both merciful and analytical. A warrior who rushed into combat rushed into his grave, after all. And for all his own sins, he knew that he _had_ to allow the briefest of moments to see if any ought be spared.

And so he moved in, getting his look and flitting from cover to cover to hide his shimmering form, to listen and examine.

"-the fires? Shit'll have 'em tied up for days just cleaning up their pissy little academy!" A great bear of a man was saying, stooped over a fire and with his back to the Arbiter's hidden, slow approach. "Damn good work on the explosives, Crim!"

"Y-Yeah." The antler bearing waif of a woman answered, curled up beside the fire and watching the wood burn from behind her mask's porcelain front. Hugging her legs tighter against her chest, she murmured, "Y-You didn't tell me that you were going to b-bomb a school though, Sun."

"I mean, s'it matter?" The great, horned man laughed. "Atlesians are Atlesians."

"Yeah, I know." The man shrugged, turning to look around the forest idly. His eyes scanned over the Arbiter and the warlord froze, wary of being seen, until his gaze had passed on. "New crew kinks, you know how it is."

That went some way to explaining their litany of mistakes, which had so easily allowed his hunt. All wore the same white outfit as well, porcelain masks fashioned like the Grimm he had fought on their faces or hanging off the big, horned one's shoulder. Each carried a blade hanging on their waist or, in the wounded and the waif's cases, laid on the ground beside them. They each also carried simplistic, bullpup rifles that he had faced the ilk of more than once in the Human-Covenant war.

"Don't push her, Sun." Their third murmured, tending to a wounded fourth laying on the ground with his long, lupine tail curled over his waist. Her feline ears flicked in a way that reminded him of Blake, though her hair was silver rather than black. "Crim is in the fight same as us, but she doesn't like it the way you do."

"They were kids…"

"Again, s'it matter?" The horned man laughed again, shaking his head and pointing a long, thick finger at the waif. "Lemme ask ya this, Crim. Who waits for a cold to _mature_ 'fore you burn it out. Atlas is the cold, we're the fever, yeah?"

It was a force of will and nothing else which kept him from splitting the _beast_ end to end then and there. Instead, stifling his snarl, he slid back and circled around. As he did, their conversation went on, and he listened on, eager for more information.

"They were _kids_, Sun." The waif- Crim, he corrected for her spine, actually argued. "If you had told me we were bombing kids, I-"

"Would have what?" The medic asked coldly, turning away from her patient to give the other woman of the group a long look. "Balk? Turn us in?"

"N-No!" And there was _terror_ in her voice, now. Not fear of judgement, but _terror_. "I-I'm not a traitor! I-I'm _not_, I swear!"

"Hope not." Sun rumbled warningly, "Because you know what we do to deserters and traitors both, Crim."

"I-I do…"

"I fear that I do not." He rumbled, in position now with the medic and her patient between himself and the other two. He did not step into the clearing, even as Sun and the Medic took up their arms, looking for him, and he took no small satisfaction in asking. "Tell me, then, _monsters_, what happens to those who balk at barbarity?"

"Calling us monsters now, Atlas dog?" The medic challenged, anger overriding her frostiness at his words. Pulling the bolt of her rifle, an action mirrored by Sun and, more awkwardly as she staggered up, by Crim, she demanded, "Why don't you come out then, dog? I'm sure an Atlas hound would love nothing more than to take a bite out of us."

"As you wish." He growled in satisfaction, stepping forward and letting the Bane spring to life in his armored hand as he did. The scorching plasma swiftly outstripped his cloaking power supply and, sparking, his form was revealed. They flinched and he rolled his shoulders, turning to present his more armored side to their guns. "I am sorry to disappoint you, though, as I am not from Atlas."

"What the fuck are you…?"

"I would explain to ears more worthy." He answered, "Or to souls who had more time in this world."

Without another word the two snapped their rifles up, bursts slamming into his shield as he loped forward. Therounds were potent, but his shields held as he stooped, slamming his shoulder into the medic and hurling her bodil over his shoulder as he went. Leaving her for now he continued, stepping through the fire and knocking aside the spit-roasted rabbit as he went, eyes locked on Sun's heavy form as the man sprayed him in fire.

One hand closed around the rifle as he reached it, twisting it away and dropping it as the man reached for his sword. The curved, red blade never left his hip, though. The Bane, hissing and popping as flesh and cloth burned and melted, cut first through the arm that had cross his chest and then into his heart. Yanking it up, he cleaved the man from sternum to shoulder and slammed a fist into his face to hurl him back and let him die.

"Bastard!" The Medic screamed as her sword skittered off his armor uselessly. He pivoted on a heel, slamming his elbow into her face and shattering mask and teeth both. As she fell he loomed over her, fire behind him and Bane raised to strike down, and saw the terror in her eyes.

A familiar terror that stayed his hands for the briefest of moments, before his resolve returned. "For the little ones."

"Phuck-" The Bane, buried in her breast, cut her words off in a bloody gurgle. For a moment, she watched the blade, and then he yanked it up and to the side, taking her head from her shoulders.

A rifle cracked and his shoulder bucked, shields sparking but holding firm. Standing, he looked over his shoulder to the trembling waif, eyes narrow and angry. Trembling, she fired again and he turned, lumbering towards her while she peppered him. The Bane flicked and she cried out, her rifle cut in half and the top of her arm seared. Her cry ended as his hand closed around her throat, lifting the kicking creature into the air.

"Cease." He commanded as she kicked at him, turning and carrying her towards her crawling comrade, bandages around his leg explaining his lack of fight. "Your regret is your salvation. Try me, though, and I will crush you."

To make his point he dropped her and planted a foot on the back of the crawling man, burying the Bane in his back before he could do any more than grunt. Yanking it free he turned back to her, laid on the ground with her sword held above her like a shield, and chuckled. Another flick cut the weapon in two and he stepped forward, fingers wrapping around her throat and bending her back so her hair dipped towards the dirt. Stamping the campfire out, he sighed.

"You are going to lead my fellows to your comrades." He rumbled, ignoring her grunting and struggling wholly. "Once that is done, you will have whatever justice Atlas offers you."

Dragging the struggling woman and lighting their path by the Bane's fire, he turned for home only to freeze like a deer caught in oncoming headlights. There, stood in a gap between the trips with her rifle across her chest and shoulders heaving for breath, stood Ruby. Stunned and still trailing her rose petals, her eyes flicked across the clearing, from body to body, and then finally to him and the girl in his hand, struggling for her life.

"Ruby…" He blinked, taking a step towards her only to flinch when she did, Crescent Rose coming across her as though to guard her from him. Quietly, he asked, "Why are you here, Ruby?"

"I came to help you catch these guys." She answered meekly, looking over the bodies again. "I-I didn't think you'd… Do _this_ to them."

"They killed children and save for this one," he hefted the girl to make his point, "celebrated the fact. Called them the virus. And these _beasts_ the cure. I spared this one, Crim, for her regret and anger over it. Blood for innocent blood, shed with the same mercy offered to the little ones."

When she didn't speak, he lowered his head and resumed his steps, retracting his way to Argus and dragging his prisoner along. As he passed her, he paused and added, quietly, "Had they shown even an ounce of empathy, I would have spared them."

"...Okay." She nodded, sounding pained and taking a step forward into the camp. He heard her scythe shift its form but didn't turn, listening to her words instead. "Take her back, then, and send people to get the… The bodies. I'll watch them, so animals don't… Don't get atthem."

"As you say."

"And Arbiter?" She added in a weak little voice before he'd more than taken a step.

"Thank you for saving the kids." She murmured, voice cracking a little. "This is… Wrong, to me, a-and I won't argue with, but…" He heard her take a breath, "But it wasn't my decision, it was yours. So thanks, at least, for saving the kids at the school."

"And I will not apologize for their deaths. They earned them in barbarity and joy at it." He rumbled, back to her still while the woman in his grip still. He spared her a glance and found her chest heaving for breath, apparently worn out from her struggling. Quietly, he offered, "I am sorry that it pains you, though, my small friend."

"I just…" She sighed, "Go, Arbiter. I need to be alone."

He moved on as she had asked, silent and shame-ridden for the pain his vengeance, righteous or not, had caused his friend. Cordovin, he figured, would at least be more happy to hear of his success than Ruby had been. Though that was little comfort now, even if avenging the little ones was a greater one, as he left the young woman behind.

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

**To all those that thought the Arbiter was being scary **_**last time**_… **Here he is when he's angry. And before people get worried, no. Ruby isn't going to guilt the Arbiter into not killing anymore. That would be… Weird, to say the least. I won't get into but THIS sub-plot isn't taking that angle.**

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**Falloutman111 :**_

**I needed certain things to be known about him, and for them to know each other, before I felt comfortable deviating. It's easier to adapt one thing at a time. The group to Thel first, then the continuity to the NEW one I am building.**

_**Firestarter :**_

**Jul's Covenant has many various names. Mine is one of dozens of various ones, and meant in context to be insulting. He addresses the ENTIRE COVENANT under Jul as a Covenant of their weakest, lowest units. The Storm.**

_**Pheonix (Guest) :**_

**RWBY has since made clear what Adam and his warped Fang were meant to be. However, I intend to take a different tact altogether, so hang in there.**

_**GhostHaloRWBY :**_

**I can make no promises, even to the notion of Adam actually showing up soonish.**

_**Dr Killinger :**_

**Cordovin is a nationalist in both versions. In this one, I simply added a threat to look to. Without that threat, this Cordovin **_**would**_ **care only about 'Atlas Pride' this and that. Cordovin in both variants is a rag on nationalists. A habit the Arbiter has a clear opinion on.**

**Also yes.**

**Pissing off the Arbiter? Bad idea.**

_**Blaiseingfire :**_

**Well… One of those is gonna happen.**


	11. Argus - Part III

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

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A lance's worth of soldiers, and twice that in droids, were waiting for him when he returned to the gate. Cordovin was waiting with them as well, as evidenced by the impressive hats her two guards wore poking out above the ranks of the droids and their lance of commanding Human soldiers. Seeing his approach, the soldiers and machines fanned out, covering his approach lest he be attacked from behind by surprise. A kindness he could appreciate, even if it was one he did not need.

"I captured this one for information." He explained as he reached Cordovin, standing under the shadow of the gate. Releasing the woman's throat he let her drop in a heap at Cordovin's feet, coughing and rolling onto her side. "She was unaware of their plans when she created the explosives. Tricked into-"

"Yes, yes, I'm sure the animal spun _quite_ the tale when you bested them." Cordovin cut across him irritably, snapping a finger that summoned a soldier and two drones from the group holding the perimeter. The droids stooped and yanked her upright, hanging between them, and Cordovin went on, "Rest assured we will _extract_ the information we need and she will be dealt with accordingly."

"In what manner?"

"You put down an animal when it goes rabid, do you not?" The girl stiffened in the robot's grip but didn't react otherwise, resigned to her fate. Letting out a single amused laugh at the woman, Cordovin ordered the machines to take her away and ordered her personal guards to once more ckose them in, as they had at the school before. While she spoke, he watched the woman be dragged away, head down and silent. "Thank you for your help, Arbiter. With her information we can see an end to this pathetic little-"

"She will not be harmed, Cordovin." He rumbled as the woman disappeared around the corner of the gate, off to wherever she would be kept. Standing above her and flanked by her guards, once more facing away so they could speak, he looked down on her and rumbled on, "She is my prisoner, not yours. And as such will be treated as I demand she be."

"Under what authority?"

"_Mine_, Cordovin." He answered in a growl, kneeling so that he could better speak to her. A demeaning gesture he saw have the desired effect, the woman grinding her teeth even as he murmured, low enough that only her guards _might_ be able to hear his word, "Refuse me my right of capture, Commandant, and you may jeopardise all the good will I hold for your people. And over what, one, what did you call her… _Animal_?"

"She attacked Argus, Arbiter." Cordovin argued, "Killed Atlesian students. _Children_, a fact that seemed to fill _you_ with as much anger as it did me."

"She was fooled, and when I found them, already filled with regret over what happened." He had heard and seen it _screaming_ from all she said or did. "Her fellows were far less regretful, enough to threaten and berate her for her regret and empathy. For their cruelties, their bodies cool even now. Young Ruby is watching over them, awaiting your people to retrieve them so that the animals do not eat them."

"She shouldn't have bothered." Cordovin shrugged, "I'll send some men, but we will just leave the bodies there."

"Your cruelties are no less forgivable, Cordovin." He growled, the woman's eyes narrowing with his words. She didn't argue with him, though, and he began to levy his demands. "Send your machines to bury the dead, they deserve that barest of civilities. Question the girl as you like but do her no harm beyond that, and in the end, I forbid your taking her life."

"As though you have the right…" The woman tittered a mocking laugh, shaking her head and giving him a look. "Arbiter, I am practically queen here, in Argus. What I say goes, at least until we have fixed our lines of communication to Atlas."

"Will you feel so confident when my ship hovers over Argus, Cordovin? Or will you have wished you earned my friendship when it was offered, and done as I asked in trade for my blade in solving _your_ problems." The woman blanched and he allowed himself the smallest of satisfied smiles, standing and sighing. "I have done as you wished for thinking us allies, Cordovin."

"We are."

"If we are allies, then let me have my right of capture." He pressed, gentle for knowing how angry she was. Still, she needed to learn that when he made demands they would be met, or his ire would follow. "I ask for little which benefits me and me alone, Cordovin. Bury their dead, and honor my holding of her custody."

"Fine." The woman sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. With a snap of her fingers she sent one of her guards to relay the orders, while the Arbiter explained how to find Ruby and the corpses she kept vigil over. "Could you at least explain _why_ you offer such charity for these beasts, though?"

"Empathy." He answered simply, knowing the fuller extent of his reasoning would only complicate matters. She seemed dissatisfied and he sighed, shaking his great, armored head. "Were it so easy, Commandant, I would explain the matter in depth. Yet, I am tired, and wish to rest now we have reached accord over the young woman."

"Very well, then." She seemed relieved, really, to have the heat behind them. And he could understand why easily enough. If she soured Atlas' chance of alliance with the Swords of Sanghelios, then her name would be tainted for all her days by the failing. "Would you like a private quarter on the base proper, or to rest with your… Companions? I am told they have sought shelter with the family of one of them."

"I would rest with my companions, if it pleases you."

"I will have an escort formed up to take you to them, then." And was he wrong to think he heard _relief_ from the woman? An amusing thought, if a somewhat confusing one. Beyond the simpler concerns of housing an inhuman, unknown species' VIP, at the least. "Good evening, I suppose."

"Thank you, Cordovin." He grunted, bowing his head and tucking his cloak around his shoulders as the pair she'd called over came to them. Neither seemed surprised to see him, though he knew they almost certainly were. A testament to professionalism, which he found a positive note to end on. "Good evening to you as well, Cordovin. I hope our next meeting carries more benefit to the both of us."

The pair of soldiers lead him silently through the streets of Argus,while he did his best to ignore the stares of the citizenry as best he was able. Fear and hate he was used to, and so he kept his gaze straight and true, ignoring those he passed by. Some, he saw, paid him more respectful and even awe filled gazes. But from most it was the same kind of fear, anger and outrage as he was so used to.

It did feel nice to be _innocent_ of those gazes' accusations, for once in his life, though.

"This is the Cotta-Arc residence, Sir." One of the soldiers reported as they reached their destination.

It was a wholly normal house set back from the street, nearly identical to those around it. Though, he noted, in a nicer district of Argus. The houses were still pressed side to side, and multi-story, but here they were occupied by single families. A small box by the road bore only the name the soldier had said, and he saw only one door, leading in. A narrow house, to be sure, but a _personal_ one. And a luxury for it, from what he had seen elsewhere in the town.

He would enjoy the privacy, even divided as it would be by so many.

"Thank you, Soldier." The Elite nodded, turning to dismiss the man. "I hope that you enjoy your evening, such as it may be."

"To you as well, Sir." The soldier nodded, glancing to his fellow and then turning back to him. In unison, they brought their heels together with metal 'clicks' and snapped their arms up, saluting him in the fashion he had seen so often from his Human allies. "Thank you for your help, Sir. You saved those kids, and no one in this city will forget that."

"One of 'em was my niece." The other added quietly, "I'm going for pizza with her in an hour thanks to you."

"I… Am merely glad to have helped the younglings." He nodded, not knowing what else he could say. At the gesture, the two nodded and turned, headed deeper into the settlement and, presumably, to the end of their shift.

Unfortunately that left him without someone to introduce him to those within, and he didn't know the etiquette needed here. Did he let himself in to join his comrades? Wait for them to come out? Call out to them or knock, maybe? Luckily, he was saved having to figure it out himself, a voice tugging him out of his thoughts.

"Oh my, you really are _big_ aren't you?" He turned, looking down on a blonde woman with an infant in her arms. An infant who blinked and squirmed tighter against his mother on seeing him, earning a displeased rumble. "Don't worry about Adrian, really, he's just… Shy around big, new people."

"Indeed?"

"Yeah, just…" She smiled apologetically, "Give him a minute."

"I will." He nodded, stepping back to give the child more space and asking, quietly for fear of disturbing him, "You are the… Matron of the house, then?"

"Matron…?"

"Forgive me, I know not your people's word for it." She raised an eyebrow and he let his mandibles flick in thought, humming. "The, ah, the woman of the house, perhaps would be the way to say it? Forgive me, your tongue is foreign."

You're asking if I'm the wife?" It was close enough, lacking a few aspects, but he nodded regardless and she chuckled. "Well, yeah, but that doesn't _quite_ mean the same thing for Terra and I." He cocked his head in confusion and she chuckled, waving him off with a hand she used to tell him to follow right after, "You'll see soon enough. I just hope that whatever standards your people have, you won't judge us for not meeting them."

"I would not dare." He assured her, hesitating at the open door she left for him. When she looked to him he bowed his head and, quietly, asked, "May I enter your home, Lady?"

"O-Of course." She stammered, seemingly taken aback at his formal tone and request. As he stepped in, she shuffled into the kitchen and made a sound of surprise. "Oh, Oscar, you're here? And wearing new clothes, too? They look good on you!"

"T-Thanks, Miss Saphron." He heard the boy stammer as he lumbered into the door of the kitchen, the young man dressed in more combat oriented clothes. Albeit clothes stained with dough, but sturdier looking and clearly designed for fighting regardless. Seeing him, the boy brightened, "Arbiter! I'm glad you're here, I was worried about you with… You know, what happened."

"I am well." He rumbled, pulling his cloak off and turning to hang it on a rack beside the door. When he returned to the kitchen, Saphron, as he had surmised her name to be, was gone. "It is good to see you, young one. Are you well?"

"Well enough, yeah. Or as well as I can be, really, I guess." Oscar nodded, checking a timer on the oven and then slipping by him and into the living room to take a seat. And, from how he looked around, to make sure their hostess wasn't nearby. "Ruby explained everything going on with Oz while you were, uh, _out_."

"And how did that go over, exactly?" He asked, easing into a seat across from him.

"Well… _You_ were kind of overshadowed, I guess."

"Ah." So one of them had told the others of him, then. He let his eyes close and took a breath to calm himself before asking, quietly. "And their thoughts?"

"Mixed, I guess…" Oscar answered, rubbing the back of his head anxiously and grimacing. "Ruby said that, um, that you and your people were tricked. And that what you did is the reason you were so adamant about helping Remnant was because of what happened, though. Is that true?"

"On both counts, yes." He nodded, explaining in gist as best he could, "Long ago, my people were brought into the Covenant. Our honor and strength, the Prophet's wisdom and guidance. In recent decades, though, this agreement was betrayed. First in deception, guiding us to strike down Humankind for sins made up by the Prophets. Then in trying to quash the truth, and kill my entire _species_."

"Along with mine…"

"This world was unknown to the Covenant but had they known of you, yes. Yours as well." And that was leaving aside the matter of the Sacred- Of the _Halos_, he corrected himself, sighing at the old habit. "Now, I and those of the Swords of Sanghelios seek redemption and amends. For my part, I see this world's dangers and wish to offer my aid to it. The Grimm are a malignance, and I would see your people protected against them."

"I know." His brow furrowed and Oscar explained, "I, uh, asked Ruby. She explained it to us. Yang backed her up, too. And Blake. And after today… Well, we all saw what you did."

"You saw?" He blinked, "But you were not there. How did you see?"

"It was on the news." Oscar explained quietly, gesturing at a Scroll on the table. "We… Saw footage of it. Coverage of the attack and cleanup efforts. Jaune was against trusting you, but seeing you do what you did… Well, that changed his mind. Made him believe you wanted to protect people. But…"

"But what?"

"The truth about Salem, he got angry…" The boy grimaced and then smiled, shaking his head as though amused as he recalled everything. "There was an argument, and then they went up stairs. I left to get gear while everyone relaxed and cooled off, but Miss Saphron says they're out looking for me."

"Oscar!" The woman called down from upstairs, busy with whatever task she'd slipped off to do. "Check the food please, I'm giving Adrian a bath!"

"Got it, Miss Saphron!" The boy nodded, standing and giving him a small smile where he sat on the couch. "People are a bit anxious with you right now, Arbiter. But… Keep proving that you mean what you say and I'm sure they'll come around. And with everything _else_, I'm sure what we found out about you will be gotten over pretty quick."

"Thank you." He rumbled, feeling genuinely comforted by the boy's words. He had a chance, then, to make amends… Standing and turning towards the open door he saw at the back of the house, he called to the retreating boy, "I will take air and clean my armor, if you please."

"Sure!" He called back, "I'll let everyone know when they get back. Have, uh, fun I guess?"

"I will." He laughed, the sound rumbling out of him against his will, drawn out by the boy's innocence and kindness.

"Arbiter." Maria greeted him as he stepped out, a rag found by the door in hand.

"Maria." He answered, sitting on the far end of the porch from her garden chair and working to remove the parts of his armor that had become soiled. Dirt, dust, plant life or even blood, all needed to be wiped away after a battle. "How are you this evening? Or do you have words for me?"

"Only the same ones you've already been hearing. Thanks for saving the kids, maybe don't turn all our cities into fireballs when your space armada shows up, you know. The usual." And to his shock, he found that she was right, that _was_ becoming the usual at this point. And so he chuckled, pulling his greaves off to wipe them down. "Did you get the ones that did it?"

"I did, yes." He nodded, eyes on his work as he pulled his armor back on to move to the next thing that needed to be removed and inspected. "One of them had been fooled and was regretful. I spared her."

"The rest?"

"I will grant no clemency to those who happily take the lives of children." He said as answer, sighing and reaching up to remove his helmet to clean it, too. For a moment he simply held it, though, looking at the impressive golden crest that would denote him on the battlefield. "And no, I do not exempt myself from that standard. I live a life on the path to redemption for my joyous life taking."

"Good." Maria nodded, "You should do. Sounds of it, you made a lot of mistakes."

"I did…"

"That's fine." Maria nodded, head cocked as they both heard the others return and, from the sounds of it, aggressively hug the boy. All at once. Chuckling under her breath, the woman turned her attention back to him, "We all make mistakes, Arbiter. Some of us lose our keys, some of us murder entire planets apparently, but… There was nothing you could have done. You didn't know what was happening, and even if you had and you'd refused…"

"I'd have been killed." He nodded, "I know that. The sin is no lighter for it, I find."

"I bet." She nodded, standing from her seat as Ruby joined them, looking surprised to see her and then glancing to him anxiously. Shuffling towards the door she paused to smile, "Ruby, when you want to talk about your eyes, I'll be upstairs. But I get the feeling you need to talk to him, first."

"Y-Yeah." She nodded, "I do."

"I won't keep you, then." She shrugged, shuffling in, "I'll save you food, and you can find me later."

With that, she shut the door, and the Arbiter sighed as he sat his helmet aside. After a second, Ruby sat a bit away from him, closer to Maria's abandoned chair than to him. After another second she asked, "Why'd you take your helmet off? I don't think I've seen you take it off before except to sleep."

"The night air is crisp and cool, and I find it comforting." He explained, taking a deep breath and looking to the blackened sky. Idly he wondered aloud, "Do you think that one of these stars, perhaps, is my world? I recognize none of the stars here, which means we are far, but surely we cannot be that far from the galaxy I know. Or rather, of the parts of it which I know."

"I mean…" She chewed a lip, "Why couldn't you be further away?"

"Because if I allow myself to doubt that I can still aid my people, I have little purpose left for my own life." He murmured, giving her a look when she flinched and frowned. As though affronted or afraid for what he'd said. "Fret not. I am unconcerned with the prospect entirely. When we reach Atlas, I will reach out to my people and, hopefully, we can see me to them, and aid to your planet."

"You really are going to help us." Ruby smiled, leaning forward and cocking her head to the side almost teasingly. "I can tell from your voice. It's so set, so _certain_, that I could almost believe it had already happened."

"You have much faith in me, then." He laughed, his voice growing more and more somber as he the laugh trailed off. "To trust my promise so readily, you must. I could as soon come to conquer, you know."

"Like you said, I trust you. I like to see the best in people, so… Yeah." Ruby nodded, turning to look up at the stars with him. For a long moment she was quiet, before she went on, sounding almost… Pained, and wistful in equal measure. "Everyone always gets on me for that, you know. Says I'm too trusting. Especially after the Fall, and after… There were two people, named Emerald and Mercury that tricked all of us."

"I know." He nodded, "You have mentioned them, once or twice, though in no detail."

"Yeah, well… They tricked everyone, and..." She sighed, eyes staring up at the sky but clearly _looking_ at nothing in particular. "And it cost people their lives. My friends, some of them. And if I ever get my hands on them, a-and I knew that no one would know, I don't know what I'd do. Turn them in, hurt them, m-maybe kill them."

"It would be just." He offered in as much of a consoling tone as he could manage. Finally she turned a look on him but those silver orbs were hard, like steel boring into him. Still her persisted, "If they oppose you then they mean harm to the innocent. You are too good of a person, too pure of soul and heart, for any other case."

"Is that revenge or justice?"

"For my people, those two can be one." He answered simply, "So long as you strike for vengeance justly, and spare those worthy of sparing, you enact vengeance with justice on your shoulders and carried by the edge of your blade."

"Really?"

"Were it not the case then surely the gods would have struck me down far before I took vengeance and justice from Truth." And so he had to believe that in whatever form they existed, they were on his side. But with a sigh, he realized where she was going and bowed his head, "You are going to ask if I fought with justice in the forest. Are you not?"

"I am, yeah."

"I believe I did."

"One of them looked like he was crawling away, Arbiter." She argued, quiet enough he was sure that none inside would be able to hear them even were they to try and listen. "And he was hurt. A bullet hole, already part of the way treated. He couldn't have fought or run from you if he wanted to. So why kill him?"

"Because he was unrepentant." He answered simply, watching her frown deepen as he spoke. "He and those who died with him offered no words of empathy or regret for what they did. And so I enacted justice, in the names of the little ones they so happily butchered."

"Why did you get to decide that, though…?"

"I believe their words were 'you do not have sympathy for the virus, you burn it out.'" He answered, the woman's eyes widening ever so slightly for the revelation. "One, the woman whose life I spared, expressed regret and pain. She was fooled, as I was. They threatened her life for it. And so I slaughtered them, that word would be unable to reach any others of her treasonous thoughts, and placed her under my protection."

"But you gave her to Atlas."

"I entrusted her to them, yes." He nodded, taking up his helmet and setting it once more on his brow. "But I made clear my displeasure should she be harmed or… Disposed of. In the interests of her reputation through my alliance and resources, I am sure no harm will come to young Crim."

"Crim…?"

"The girl." He answered, "Her name is Crim. I do not recall what it stands for, or if such is simply her name."

"Ah, right, gotcha." Ruby nodded, understanding now and seemingly put at ease by his answers. Cautiously, he asked if she was not angry with him and she smiled, as though amused by him being worried over the prospect. "I was upset, yeah, but not because you killed them. Grapes, _I've_ killed some people, though… Not, um, not _directly_."

"Truly?"

"Yeah." She nodded, sounding regretful for it and bringing her knees up to her chest, arms hugging her legs anxiously. "Me and my team threw a lot of White Fang off a train into the Grimm, once, trying to stop them letting the Grimm into the Kingdom of Vale. During the Fall, too, I… Put someone in a position that got him killed, and threw a girl off a battleship swarming with Grimm. I don't think she survived that."

"I see…" He took a breath, surprised by the fight but unperturbed by it. Oddly, he found her looking at him as though afraid. Of his judgement, he realized belatedly, rushing to assure her, "You did what any in battle will find themselves unable to escape. Find no shame in it, young one, so long as you comported yourself with honor."

"I-I think I did, and I'm not upset- I mean, well, I _am_, but not because it's evil or- Hecking grapes, this is a hard conversation!" Taking a breath, she pressed her face into the backs of her knees, collecting herself. Patiently, he waited until she went on, voice more controlled now that she had taken a moment to collect herself properly. "Killing I don't mind, Arbiter. It's murder I mind, and I was… Well, it was a pretty gruesome scene, I was surprised."

"I understand." A plasma sword could be a brutal, gorey weapon if one didn't exercise care. And enraged as he'd been, he had certainly not done so. "I will endeavor to be less brutal and destructive in future, if I am able. For your sakes, and for peace between us."

"Yeah." She nodded, hopping off the porch and stretching her arms over her head with a loud groan. "Now enough drama! There's food inside, and I told Oscar what to make you while we talked. Should be about done baking by now."

"What should?"

"The caramel apples, of course." He grunted and rose, lumbering towards the door while her laughter followed him.

Tonight, he decided, had been a good night, even if it had followed a horrible day.

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

"Was the attack successful?" He growled quietly, his large mask sat on the log he was using for a table, his hand resting on his knee behind it like a warlord of old. A thought made comedic by the fact he only did it for the shortness of the log he was sitting on, and the smallness of his tent.

That Adam couldn't send him a chair was _galling…_

The young woman kneeling at his tent's entrance, a too young Doe with only one of her antlers, nodded at his question and he sighed. "Have the team's leader come to me for commendation, then. After that we can-"

"None of them returned, Sir." The girl interrupted him, a bold move at the best of times, and one only the girl would risk. Blue eyes looked up to his own from behind her mask, waiting for him to nod and grant her permission to go on. "Their camp was discovered by a scout. The fire overturned, food spilled, and blood on the grass."

"I see." Atlas _had_ sent hunters, then… A shame, the young woman with them was an adept at explosives making. "Were the bodies recovered?"

"They were buried." She answered, "By Atlas."

"Atlas…?" He sat his fork down and leaned back, crossing his massive arms over his chest. "Atlas doesn't bury their dead. And they don't have the manpower to spare for a search, airborn or not, for our teams."

"Footprints were discovered, Sir." She responded, "Massive and inhuman in a way even a Faunus would not be able to match. I am trying to raise contacts in the city, but thus far the only message from them has said something about 'a strange stranger stranger than most strangers'."

"Damn tortoise…" Wise though he was, the old man spoke in riddles more than _letters_. "Did they at least put up a good fight? Take a few Atlas dogs down?"

"Our scout says that they did not." She answered, ignoring his angry snarl until it had passed and explaining. "A huntress stood over the bodies until droids arrived to bury them, and then they left. But there are no signs of enemy bloodshed or even ammunition around the camp. Only casings consistent with our own weaponry, and the stranger's footprints. He took them on his own, and before they could mount an effective resistance."

"Damn." But that was _impressive_, to be sure. "No survivors, then. A damn shame. Tonight, we will drink in their memories."

"Only three graves were found, Sir." She countered, bowing her head again when he snarled even more ferally. He very nearly smashed aside his food in his rage, only controlling himself at the last minute and gesturing for her to continue. "There are drag marks leading back to the road, leading our scout to believe that a small woman was taken captive. Only Crim is small enough, Sir."

"Hmph." He sighed, "And she _will_ break…"

"Yes, Sir." The woman nodded, "She will."

"Prepare the emergency plan. Send the saboteurs, I want that machine _disabled_." He sighed, rising and turning around to reach under his cot. From there he pulled out a carrier the size of the Doe reporting to him, running a hand over it affectionately. "Have our skirmishers begin baiting the Grimm towards Argus and order some volunteers to assault the gates. That dwarf will lock down the city and, without their guardian and with our gunfire, the Grimm will _bay_ for their blood."

"I understand, Banesaw." She answered, asking quietly, "Will you be joining the fray personally, Sir?"

"Of course, Deery." He rumbled, using the old code name and grinning as the latches on the case came free. "I couldn't send my men to die while I sat hidden away in camp. I believe we have old friends to pay back for Mountain Glenn."

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

**Just gonna mass respond here-**

**Ruby doesn't, in canon, voice concern over killing if one needs to. She and her team yeeted multiple Faunus off a train at high speed into the waiting grips of the Grimm. Further, Blake killed Adam along with Yang, Ruby DISMEMBERED Tyrian, and Ruby also has shown little self-loathing over causing Roman to die or ATTEMPTING to kill Neo.**

**Brutality is not the same as killing. Nor is killing who you MUST the same as putting a foot on someone's back to kill them while they crawl away, as Thel did. And as would have been easily discerned from the body. I hope that this chapter's dialogue goes a way towards explaining these ideas.**

**As for everyone thinking Blake would be upset… As I said, she has killed numerous WF grunts. She defended the WF at first for ignorance, but ever since Beacon has not done so. Y'all actin' like she's some uber hypocrite is weird to me…**

**Anyway, mass response over.**

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**Spanish Guest I Think, I Forgot to Check Language Detection (Guest) :**_

**They will be returning to full presence now we are back in Argus, rest assured.**

_**Rex Rules :**_

**Indeed. The Arbiter is no merciful warrior to child-killers who are unrepentant. Hence sparing Crim, but brutally killing the rest.**

_**A Fan (Guest) :**_

**I mean, you aren't wrong.**

_**Combine 117 :**_

**Yeah, happens. *shrugs* I'm unconcerned.**


	12. Argus - Part IV

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**Official Supporters: **_

_**Priests, **_**The Impossible Muffin**_**, **_**Xager the Chaos King.**

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_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

The sound of a child crying out tore him from his already fitful rest, the Arbiter rising on the couch he'd gone to sleep on the night prior. Blinking away the sleep in his eyes he scanned the dim room, the lights left off and the sun only beginning to peek through the windows of the home. For it, he saw the young woman holding the baby, watching him with tired eyes. Seeing him awake she sighed, turning for the kitchen, and, awake and thirsty, he rose to follow.

"Didn't mean to wake you up. Sorry." The woman murmured tiredly, giving him a small, apologetic smile and setting the youngling on the counter. While she reached up to dig what looked like food out of the counter, the child clung to her robes. "I've been working late for the past few weeks," the woman explained, "so he's really clingy in the mornings. And if Saphron tries to feed him he just _screams_, so…"

"It is understandable, and you are forgiven for waking me, if such a thing was a concern." He murmured, filling a glass with water and tilting his head to the side to tip it back and into his mouth for a drink. Sated, he turned as she shuffled out, taking the apples he had saved from the night prior with him to eat and reattach his armor to his under-harness. As he dressed, he added, gently, "I do not believe we were introduced properly. You came in late, ate in the kitchen, and retired."

"Curious?" She smiled, her glasses catching the light as she looked to him, feeling the child on her knee with the other hand.

"Chronically, I'm afraid." That, at least, earned a little laugh from the clearly tired woman. A laugh the child mirrored, looking between her and him with bright eyes. Laughing quietly and armored once more, he took his seat on the other couch and reached for an apple. "My people have a saying. 'A leader without a dose of paranoia and curiosity is one deserving of the blade between his shoulders'."

"Kind of a grim saying…"

"Mine is something of a grim people, I have come to realize." He nodded, pulling apart the crisp little green and smiling at the satisfying sound it made. "Are your own not just as grim, though?"

"Are we?" She asked, sounding genuinely curious while she absently spooned up some of the food the child had dribbling down his chin, tucking it back into his mouth adeptly. He smiled for the familiar sight. "You're the alien, so you're the most objective opinion on the matter we're going to get."

"If you truly want my opinions…" She nodded and he sighed, pulling a hunk of the sweet thing into his mouth to mask his grimace. Finally, he answered quietly, "Yours are a people who hide and shelter behind high walls and towering mountains. A people who fight and die for even the barest scrap of land and safely. Against each other as well as the hazards of the world you call home. You arm children and send them to battle, you victimize your own to feed the machine of war…"

"Well, I _did_ ask, I guess." She chuckled, the Arbiter only humming in answer. "Ugh, it's too early for this…"

"Do not mistake my words for condemnation, Miss." He assured her, bowing his head at the woman and turning a gaze on the child. Looking to him, he cocked his head, chewing on the food the woman had given him. "Tenacity is something beautiful to behold, the will to fight and claw for your survival graceful, to the Sangheili. At least to my people. The unbreakable will of Humanity is something to be praised, even for the darkness it brings. A grim and beautiful people."

"So, _you're_ talkative in the mornin' looks like." A more familiar voice called, Yang shuffling down the steps behind him, running a brush through her hair and shooting him a smile when he grunted in response. Holding up a hand she asked, "Mind if I steal an apple?"

"No, I do not." He grunted, pitching one to her and watching her take a bite as she plopped down beside him. He hadn't bought them, after all, and so hoarding them would have been quite rude. "Good morning to you, Yang. Did you sleep well?"

"First good night with a shower 'n a bed after a long ass time out in the sticks so yeah." She yawned, waving him off and smiling, speaking with a strange twang as she went on, "Now unless I was quite wrong I _do_ believe you were heapin' compliments on me 'n mine, so do go on."

"I was talking about your race, actually…"

"Hey you don't know what the 'mine' there was, big man." She chuckled, taking a hunk out of the apple and laughing at his rolled eyes. Swallowing she gave the little boy a wave and smiled, speaking to the woman. "Didn't notice last night as fast as you ducked off to catch your z's, but little guy sure does have your eyes."

"I carried him, yeah." She chuckled, giving the Arbiter a look when his brow furrowed in confusion. Smiling teasingly, but with a curious, almost testing look in her eyes, she explained, "It's Miss_us_, by the way, Arbiter. Missus Terra Cotta-Arc. The _other_ 'matron of the house', I think were the words you used."

"Oh." He blinked, "Oh, I understand, you two are- I see, yes. Ah, forgive my words, if they caused offence, I did not know."

"It's fine as long as you don't mind it." She shrugged, smiling politely and turning to dab her son's face clean while she spoke. "Saph mentioned last night that you didn't seem to have a good grasp on Mistrali or Vale customs. Or, well, Human ones I guess. No, that excludes the Faunus, maybe Remnant customs works best?"

"It is… Strange to me, yes, and I mean no offence in saying so. But then, far be it from my rights to say that strange is wrong." The child seemed happy and well-cared for to his eyes, and the women seemed happy. So of what concern was it to him, really? She was smirking, though, and he sighed for it, bowing his head knowingly. "You are teasing me, are you not?"

"Just a bit." She laughed, Adrian joining her after a second. "I was a _bit_ worried, alien and all, but you seemed nice enough so I didn't think you'd _care_ even if you cared. You know what I mean?"

"I believe so, yes." He did not, in fact, understand her meaning, but he was more than happy to simply move on.

"Good. Glad that's settled." She smiled, standing and setting the child on the floor amidst a handful of his toys. He whined as she turned away but, without looking, she set a foot on a toy truck and made a sound like an engine roaring. Son suitably distracted, she went on, "You two mind watching Adrian while I get food ready? I need to get ready for work."

"I do not think that is a good-" A tiny something banging against his toe drew his attention down and he blinked, watching the young one run a little red truck up his shin. He looked up and blinked, smiling at him and holding the truck up for him. "I don't…. Understand. What does he want?"

"Sit on the floor and play race cars." Yang suggested, hopping over the table to do just that, grabbing a little blue box car and circling it on the floor, imitating the engine the way he had. The child left his knee to join her, rumbling along in a pretend race that went nowhere. Giving him a look Yang flicked a green one through the air and nodded to the toddler's other side. "Pop a squat and play. Not like we have anything _better_ to do so damn early in the morning."

"Language!"

"Sorry, Mom!" yang called towards the kitchen, turning back to him and raising an eyebrow. "Or is the Arbiter too good to play with a kid?"

"...Hmph." He grumbled, picking the little car up off the couch where it had landed and setting it on the table. "Um, well, vroom vroom?"

"Ah!" He cheered, standing and putting his little truck on the table, giggling, "Vrrrrooom!"

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

"Watch out, the Seraph is coming in for a bombing run!" The Arbiter warned playfully, running the spoon around in lazy circles in front of the child while he bounced on the couch eagerly and laughed. Knelt on the floor in front of him he dipped it down and towards him, letting the boy catch the morsel in his mouth and smiling as he giggled. "Good job, child. You staved off the bombing run, the Keep lives another day!"

"Weird game ya got there."

"Perhaps, but he enjoys it." He murmured, turning to set the fork down on the plate, holding it up for Jaune to carry off towards the kitchen as he made his way by. Standing, he lifted Adrian and set him back on the floor so he could play now his early lunch was out of the way. Turning an eye on the man on the other couch he huffed, "Must you drink in front of the boy?"

"Why wouldn't I…?" Qrow sighed, sipping from his flask and setting a foot on the table.

"He's impressionable." The Arbiter, Jaune and Saphron all answered at once, the blondes settling in on the couches beside either of the older men. Saphron, beside him, turned an eye on the Arbiter and smiled. "I have to say, though, I didn't think _you_ would be so good with children, though, Arbiter."

"And why not?"

"Dunno, you don't seem the type to have had a family." The question was clear, and he felt both Jaune and Qrow's eyes on him for it too.

"I have given life to no young, no." He'd been too busy _taking_ the lives of the young to consider doing so, though the Keep would soon demand he would. As was his responsibility, to carry forward the blood which had done so much for their people. "I have, though, aided in the communal care of the Keep's children. The duty of all young Sangheili, in the years before their true training begins, so that they might keep their love of the Keep."

"So, what, when you have a kid you just…"

"It is given over to the Keep as a babe, and raised among all the Keep's children and under the Kaidon and the Council's tutelage and training." He answered simply, the blonde woman grimacing at the thought. He already knew why, though, and thanked the few Humans he had spoke to for explaining the oddity they saw. "Our ways are strange to you, I can tell. But they are ours. Judge us not unless you wish to invite judgement unto yourselves."

"Glass houses and rocks, eh?" Qrow grunted, "Not my favorite defence but it works, I guess."

"Is there a reason for it?" Saphron asked, watching her son play and smiling sadly as she considered the idea. "I couldn't imagine giving Adrian up, a-and he's not even my own blood. He's my son, of course, but… You understand what I'm getting at?"

"I do, I believe." The value of blood was something he as a Sangheili understood greatly. And, ironically, it was that which built the reason for the practice. "The reason is to prevent nepotism and corruption. It is, after all, difficult for one to favor their son for prestige and duties when one doesn't know which _is_ their son. As such, in all things only the best and brightest rise naturally, for merit not name."

"Still…" Whatever she wished to say next, though, was silenced by a distant drone. Standing, the woman's brows furrowed, "The gate's sounding its alarm? Why is it-"

More cut her off, cascading in from every direction save for the ocean itself. Grabbing Adrian and starting to gather his toys and a small black bag, the woman explained quickly, "_That_ is the Grimm alarm, I have to get Adrian to a shelter."

"We'll head for the gate." Qrow grunted, standing and rolling his neck until it popped. "The girls are all out, but they'll figure it out and head for the walls to fight, too. Arbiter?"

"With you, Branwen. To the gate, to answer the first call to arms." He grunted, rising to his full height and yanking his armor in a last check of his harness. Turning a look on Adrian, who looked frightened now for their own tension, he smiled and laughed brightly for the child's benefit. Prodding his belly when he turned in his mother's arm, the Arbiter, "Fret not, Youngling. All will be well, you have my word. We shall play race cars by the evening, I am certain."

"Rar rar!" The boy cheered, accepting the little red truck when he offered it to him.

"Thank you." Saphron murmured as he left, calling as he and Qrow approached the door, "Be safe out there! Steaks for dinner if you win!"

"I will look forward to it." He called back while he pulled his cloak on and snapped the Bane to his thigh. For a moment he considered leaving it, but then decided that it would be safest with him and clipped it onto the back of his waist for safekeeping. To the woman and her son he called a final, "Be safe. I will see you when the battle is done."

Outside of the home, the sirens were louder, carried more easily through open air than through brick and mortar. He had expected as much, and the chaos he had seen so often on worlds he laid siege to. Men and women carrying what they could, and what they shouldn't, and fighting back and forth in confused, terrified throngs of people. Often, he had seen people crushed under their fellows in their desperate flight from his Phantoms and Spirits, and the Covenant wrath they carried. Humans could be brave if disciplined, he knew, but the UNSC's military might was always busied facing them rather than properly caring for their frightened people.

Here, such was clearly not the case, and he found himself impressed by it.

Few vehicles traveled the road, mainly towards the walls and ferrying soldiers piled into white and silver trucks that reminded him of warthogs, their riders riding to where they were needed as swiftly as they could. On the other side those same trucks returned, the old and weak on their backs now as they returned for more soldiers and supplies. On the sidewalks, and even in the little lawns before the buildings, people walked in an orderly, swift fashion, watched over by uniformed soldiers directing them into the city and towards the shelters Saphron had mentioned.

"Don't space out." A hand on his bare left arm drew his attention to the side and down, the older Huntsman beside him, giving him a narrow-eyed, almost knowing look. Why, the Arbiter couldn't guess, but the man jerked his head at the street either way. "Follow the trucks or hop on one and they'll get you to the gate. Kid's gonna find one headed to the walls and link up with his team and I got my own way there."

"I understand." The man's speed of wing would see him to the gate even before the Arbiter himself could get there. Planting a fist against the man's chest and then the blonde's as well he grunted, "Good luck, my friends. May the gods guide us to victory today."

"Keep your gods away from me, big man." Qrow grumbled, turning and dipping back into the house.

"We should get going." Jaune added, leading the way through the crowds of people.

Finding transport was easy, they simply introduced themselves to one of the soldiers trying to make way for the trucks and went to where they were directed. Two soldiers saw him coming and stood, one offering him a hand up while the other shuffled to stand at the front of the truck, one hand gripping a little rail on the top of the cabin while the Arbiter took the vacated seat. A quiet sort of camaraderie, to be sure, but one that he had never expected to receive from a Human.

A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.

As they trundled along towards the gate he turned his gaze skyward, watching the Atlesian airships engage the aerial Grimm trying to assault the city. Grimm were ripped apart by missiles and heavy weapons, while shuttles and interceptors were punctured by feathers. Or, in some cases, Grimm simply rammed into the craft headlong to destroy them, or handfuls of them clustering on shuttles to force them down by sheer weight. The Grimm suffered three, maybe even four, times as many casualties as the Atlesian defenders.

But the Grimm didn't slow, swarming madly and happily throwing themselves to their deaths. But the Atlesians didn't slow either, fighting doggedly despite high casualties and an enemy which would neither slow nor hesitate. So Human tenacity truly wasn't exclusive to the UNSC, then...

_Excellent_.

"Word from Garrison Commander Cordovin, Sir." A soldier reported as the sounds of small arms fire reached them. He nodded and the man went on, "Grimm are assaulting the other sections of the Argus wall, but garrisoned Specialists are holding them with your bodyguards. She's asking that you help us push the White fang back out of the settlement, though."

"Back out?" He growled, "They are within, then?"

"Yes, Sir." He nodded, turning his head slightly as he listened for something in his helmet's communicator. "They blitzed through with an armored car rigged with explosives, killed the garrisoned squad and set up a holding pattern there. Only a few are holding the gate now, but we're spread too thinly to push out."

"Why are they only holding?"

"We don't know, Sir." The man answered, "We only know that they are. And they have a Huntsman with them, who is currently being engaged by one of your companions. The older man."

"I see…" But something felt foul, here. Something felt foul about that but a distant, muted explosion back towards the bay stole his attention away. Their truck slammed to a halt and he stood, looking towards the water. Smoke trailed up and into the sky where only one thing could be its origin and he asked, quietly, "That is from your base. Is it not?"

"Yes, Sir."

"A bomb? But why attack the base directly? The men and supplies could have been turned on taking the city..." The answer came swiftly and terribly. Crim. They wanted her silenced and wanted to bloody Atlas' nose twice-over in the process, once for killing someone under their charge and the second for such an attack occurring at all.

What they likely didn't know was that they would bloody _his_ nose as well, and that was something he would not stand for.

"Trooper, take heed and send word to your fellows." He grunted, rounding on the soldier as the truck began trundling forward again. "Ask Qrow Branwen to rush to the Atlesian base and secure our White Fang guest. If they are so intent on her death then she is of value and must be defended."

"Understood, Sir." the man nodded, "I'll relay the message immediately. What about you, though, Sir?"

"I will be retaking the gate alongside you all." He answered with a wave and a laugh, "Or was that not obvious?"

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

John's eyes snapped open and, in the same moment, he went from on his back to on his knees, a hand snapping to his thigh to snatch up his Magnum on raw, ingrained instinct. Aside from his fellow Spartans, all of whom read on his HUD's squad status display as unconscious but unharmed, the hallway was empty and undamaged. Rising, he traded teh Magnum for his sturdy Assault Rifle, sweeping the hall once swiftly, looking for anything amiss, and then again more slowly.

After a moment he relaxed, at least enough to speak even if he kept his rifle at the ready, "Roland, status report."

"All systems are reading as operable, but power failed unilaterally for forty-three seconds. Including my own powers reserves." The AI reported, sounding as confused and tense for it as the Spartan himself was. "I haven't finished rebooting memory and data storage yet, so I don't know for sure what happened leading up to it, but we aren't under attack. And we don't have anyone on board, either."

"You're certain?"

"Within a few decimal points of one hundred percent, yeah." The AI answered, "Internal and external sensors were right after weapons and propulsion in my list of power priorities. I'm working on subsystems now, but everything is functional."

Hearing the words the Chief relaxed, returning his rifle to his back and turning at a groan to offer a hand to Linda. She took it without a thought and he pulled her up, explaining both for her and the other two that were coming around as he had, "All green on sensors, power and ship status."

"According to the AI?"

"According to the AI." He nodded at the man's question, looking over each of them and his status reports in his HUD in the same moment. "We're sweeping the decks either way. Linda, Fred, Engineering. Kelly with me, command and crew decks. Assume hostile presence until verified. Rally to the bridge if all's green."

"Yes, Sir." The Spartans answered, their duos splitting off to see to their tasks.

"Master Chief I need you on the bridge to reinitialise supplementary data storage access. You're the only one with the clearance, as mission lead." The AI reported a few minutes later, as he and Kelly swept the barracks. Nothing yet, as he'd expected, but he wouldn't risk stowaways on his ship whether or not the sensor scan was clear. "Records I have access to already say we approached the Arbiter's last location in space, but then something happened in the minutes leading up to reaching it."

"Theories?"

"None until I get that access."

"Understood." He grunted, turning and giving his partner a nod. She returned it and he left her to continue her sweep alone, headed for the bridge himself. As he went, he swept the hall, noting it on the squad's shared map as clear, until he reached the bridge and did the same. "Roland, tag the console you need me at."

"Can't, the access I need will give me comms, too. I need that if I want to access your HUDs like that." The AI answered, voice echoing around the empty, very stereotypical ONI bridge. Small, compact, and without any viewports that looked out into space. The forward section had three consoles for various roles, while the back had two. "I need you at the front left-most console, forward section. I'll walk you through access and system initialization, you'll be hard starting it all."

"Understood." He answered simply, pacing around the deck and kneeling in front of the console to work under the AI's directions. He knew most of it already, of course, but then he also knew better than to ignore an AI's directions. After a few minutes, the screen lit up a confirmation and he asked, "Roland?"

"Systems are green, I'm scanning the memory files and data packets as they process." A heartbeat or two passed and the machine sighed, appearing on one of the series of AI pedestals scattered around the bridge. "All files within a few seconds of the incident are corrupted, somehow."

"_All_ files?"

"Yep." He nodded, bringing a live feed of the files up on the terminal for him as he went on. "External passive data, radiation detection, ladar and radar systems, communications, I mean, it's _everything_. Top to bottom. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was scrubbed."

"By who?" Roland only shrugged and the Chief sighed, thinking for a moment. "Scan the system. Are we still in Sangheili space?"

"No, I can tell that from passives. But I'm launching a full system sweep on your order." The AI answered, giving him a look, "Should I go the whole nine or restrict myself for security?"

"Do the full sweep." The _Black Sun_ could outmaneuver anything that came looking for their pings, if Roland found anything. And right now, they _needed_ the information.

Another few minutes while the AI worked and the Master Chief waited, fielding the periodic, expectedly clear reports from his sweeping team. Finally, Roland spoke up, his little avatar smiling brightly. "Everything's quiet, Chief. But there's a nearby planet, and long distance scans picked up two things worth talking about. It's life bearing, and has signs of having been settled, and a single source somewhere on its surface is broadcasting a weak, partially corrupted signal in a _Sangheili_ code system."

"The Arbiter?"

"Won't know until I get closer and run a more intensive scan, Sir." He answered, "Should take an hour, if you give me permission."

"Granted." He stood, turning for the door and opening comms to his squad. "Blue Team, report to the Armory and get yourselves supplied. We have a lead and may need to head ground-side."

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

**Peeps spotted an error in who is referring to who early on. Sorry. Fixed now, should be. Unless Docs is lying to me, I used 'find and replace' to seek out the word 'Terra' and check usage. Stupid thing to slip under the rader but it did so I apologize.**

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**Kpmh2001 :**_

**Exactly! Understanding the realities of your career is a thing all young adults come to. And THESE ONES have been preparing for it for likely almost their entire lives. Ruby lost her mom, she knows that dying and killing is part of her chosen life.**

**She doesn't care in-canon or here because she's doing what's right.**

**Might steal your line, though, if you don't mind and I get a chance. XD**

_**Blaiseingfire :**_

**Oh I has ideas about all that~**

_**Combine 117 :**_

**Undetermined on whether Crim will become a recurring OC. Probably not, not really something I wanna do with all the moving pieces already being dealt with, but we shall see.**

_**Cmedina :**_

**Oh, if/when he gets orbital support will indeed be a crazy, fun time for all involved not black and furry.**

_**Muse of Schleissheim :**_

**It was a shock to see, that was all. Ruby herself has dismembered someone. It's never shoved in your face in the show since that would be silly to do, but she understands her lifestyle. The risks on all ends.**


	13. Argus - Part V

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**Official Supporters: **_

_**Priests, **_**The Impossible Muffin**_**, **_**Xager the Chaos King.**

_**Adeptus, **_**Private Wilger**

_**Ze Nope Rope, **_**Kaiser Snek, Snekiest Snek**

_**Acolytes, **_**DigiDemonLord**_**,**_ **Cheeseberry**

_**Initiates,**_ **Espacole**_****_

_**If you want to be on the Supporter list, PM one of us for details or join our private server for details. Hope you enjoy reading my stories, please leave me a comment to let me know if you did, or where I can improve. Link here, where able to be seen : **__** /2UZncAm**_

_**Second link here, remove spaces and it SHOULD work : D iscord . gg (slash) kfhkfUb**_

_**I have a kofi account now, too, under this name for those interested.**_

_**Beta(s) : **_

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

**There is currently a poll on my discord for new stories coming up, for those interested.**

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

In the wake of taking the gate the White Fang had chosen the smartest of plans, and stayed there, reinforcing a position they knew Atlas would not dare destroy. The barriers that steered traffic towards it, the check-in building's metal panel walls, and even the ruined chunks of the truck they had used to _take_ the gate, the White Fang used everything to hand to seal up the gate and make a barricade to fight behind. Knowing that Atlas _had_ to retake the gate, and that they couldn't commit their full force to it, the insurgents were _more_ than patient enough to wait for Atlas to come to them.

The only sensible course of action, then, was a frontal assault to retake the gate before the White Fang either attacked the city within or withdrew.

Two dozen Atlesian droids marched on the position and, using his tactical cloak, he trailed behind them. Dozens of feet back, the soldiers themselves marched alongside their armored trucks. As soon as the droids stepped into the plaza around the gate the White Fang stood to offer withering reception fire. The machines answered in kind as they advanced, ignoring the rounds that punched into them, tore limbs away, and cut down their fellows.

Had they been men and women rather than base machines, he would have been impressed by their discipline even if he had yet to see a single Faunus fall. But then, making the Faunus fall was _his_ duty, not theirs. And he was not about to be shown up by mere _machines_.

With long, loping strides, he charged the left-most barricade, the White Fang firing over his head at the enemies they could see. As he reached the mounded metal he leapt, heedless of the wayward rounds from both sides that sparked off his shield and shattered his camouflage. On the other side of the barricade he had chosen were two of the insurgents whose eyes widened behind their masks as he appeared before them, the Bane blooming to life in his hand. His boot landed on one's chest as he came down, his massive weight bearing the slight man down and crushing his chest while Bane snapped out to take the other's head.

Stepping off of the crushed man he turned as a woman charged him, red sword thrusting towards his stomach. It skated off his shoulders and his hand snapped out, gripping her by her head and lifting her off the ground. A twist and her neck snapped, her body falling limp at his feet as the rest turned to him.

"Hunter, Hunter, Hunter!" One called, mistaking his shields for Aura no doubt and raising his rifle as three lightly armored swordsmen rushed him.

Chainmail and light plate did little to protect them against his superheated plasma, though. The first closed with him and he turned, flicking the Bane to bisect the thin, curved sword and then punching it up to remove his head. The second and third came as one, though, one going for his knees while the other leapt. Stepping into the attack he snapped a hand out to bat aside the leaping Faunus and brought his knee up with such force that the second Faunus' mask shattered.

As the man fell, the Arbiter stepped over him, eyes narrowing as yet another Faunus lumbered towards him.

This one was larger than any of the others, closer to his own great height and wearing an impressive, ornate Grimm mask. In his wake, his fellows seemed to calm, turning back to the fight with the now pressing Atlesian forces. A display that showed a faith in command that almost, _almost_ gave him pause, the Arbiter turning his gaze on the great man as he came to a lumbering stop.

"You are the cause of this chaos then?" He asked, turning and slowly pacing away from the gate, into the open ground outside it where he could fight without much chance of the other Fangs intervening. The giant nodded and he snarled, demanding, "Why? The Grimm abound, and yet you slaughter the innocent?"

"The 'innocent'?" The titan laughed, shaking his great head and turning a long look first on him and then on the besieged city. Finally turning back to him the Faunus laughed, a harsh and feral kind of sound. "No one 'innocent' lives in an Atlas city, but I don't expect an Atlas dog to understand that."

"Do I _look_ like an Atlesian?" He asked, spreading his arms so the man could get a very good look at his ornate armor. When the large Faunus didn't answer the Arbiter shook his head slowly and sighed, "I very clearly am not. But then, a _beast_ such as you would not be able to comprehend what I truly am."

"Beast…?"

"What else would you call one that slaughters children as you have done?" It was a force of will that kept him from laughing at the mild hypocrisy in his words. Force of will and a quiet reminder that he had been _fooled_ into his sins, while this man had chosen them freely.

"An avenger." The man snarled in answer, revving his saw threateningly. "You _talk_ like an Atlesian, at least, whatever you are."

"I am the Arbiter, Thel Vadam, leader of the Swords of Sanghelios." He answered, raising his sword arm and bracing his wrist with his more armored right arm. Glaring along the straight edge of his arm and sword, he asked, "Who are you, then, that dies for his sins today?"

"My _sins_? Heh." The giant shrugged, though, and offered simply, "You can call me Banesaw, for whatever little time you have left to say it."

"We shall see who falls and who rises, _beast_." The Arbiter rumbled in answer, watching his foe bristle. Squaring his shoulders and lowering himself readily he took a breath and rumbled a last, "Banesaw or the Prophet's Bane. Come then and we shall see which of us will leave this place under our own power."

"Hmph." The titan grunted, saying nothing and turning his hips slightly, angling his left leg back and holding his saw across his wide waist like a shield.

Crossing the few feet between them in a single, powerful bound, he thrust the glowing edge of his blade in towards the Faunus' shoulder. When he ducked back the Arbiter followed, taking a single step and flicking it across his throat. His Aura flared and his skin reddened, apparently unable to stop all the heat of the weapon from burning him.

But that was all it did, and the Arbiter had to duck back from an elbow thrust into his face before he could try again. Banesaw followed, raising his roaring saw and shoving it into his armored chest before Thel could get back and out of his reach. It was a gentle strike, the kind you used to get space, and so he expected little to come of it. Instead, a titanic blow slammed into his chest and drove the air from his lungs, hurling him bodily away from the Faunus.

He hit the ground and rolled as best he could, staggering upright and sucking in air as the man laughed.

He said nothing, though, as he lumbered towards the winded Sangheili warrior, chainsaw revving hungrily. Rising and collecting himself, he slid into a more defensive stance and backpedaled away. Laughing almost ferally, the Faunus followed, his engine revving angrily in the air between them as he attacked and the Arbiter retreated and racked his brain for answers on what _that_ had been. How had such a simple, light seeming strike hit him so hard?

That it was a Semblance was a simple and obvious conclusion to reach. The children had taught him much by simple observation about them. But how it functioned was the next question, and not one with as swift an answer. Instead, it brought a line of questions.

To answer the first, he dug a heel in and ducked under a slash, thrusting up as if aiming for his face. The man grunted and threw his saw up, blade roaring for the Arbiter's forearm. But the attack was a feint and he pulled the blade high and back, over his own shoulder, before the Faunus' attack could strike home. Using his free hand he grabbed the weapon's handle, pulling it as though to steal it.

"Let go!" Banesaw snapped, yanking the weapon up with one hand and slamming a meaty punch into the Arbiter's head with the other.

It stung, to be sure, but only as much as any blow to the head would. It forced him off the man, the Bane hissing through the air to ward him off as the Arbiter withdrew. Banesaw snarled as he backed away, the forearm he'd used to ward off his attacks red and burned. He had no way of knowing how much more Aura the man _had_, but he'd learned what he sought. The man's Semblance appeared tied to his weapon.

So, he just needed to break the _weapon_, then.

Returning to his ready stance the Arbiter waited for the man to recover and then began to circle. One step at a time to his left, the man mirroring him warily. While he watched, the burn across the top of his forearm healed. Another trick of Aura, he knew, to be able to swiftly heal all but the most grievous of wounds. But it meant expending your Aura _rapidly_, and that was just fine to him.

In fact, it gave him another idea.

Finally, he stopped his circling and made his move, once more leaping towards his enemy. A mirror of his earlier attack, aiming a thrust up towards his face to force him onto his heels and give Thel the advantage. As before Banesaw ducked back to dodge and swept up and out with his saw, aiming for his chest. This time, though, Thel had a plan in mind. Like orange lightning he carved down, burning across the man's chest and slamming his plasma sword's edge into the engine assembly of the weapon.

It shattered, chain whipping away and into the dirt, and Thel turned to slam a shoulder into the Faunus and force him back. Surprised and suddenly disarmed, the man staggered away. But now he had the edge, the Arbiter pressed it, stepping in and unleashing a flurry of shallow, weak and wholly randomly placed attacks that would have earned him a beating in his training hall.

Here, it forced his enemy back, searing angry red lines across his enemy's stomach, arms and legs.

Seared in a thousand places, the man tried to collect himself and managed to snap a _devastating _punch up and into the Arbiter's armored gut. It forced him back and Baensaw was on him, grabbing his sword-arm's lightly armored shoulder and slamming a blow into his chest that drove the air from his lungs. But the Arbiter stayed on his feet and answered in kind, slamming his own armored fist into his enemy's throat.

The Faunus choked, backpedaling as green light flickered across his body, and he followed him. This time, when he thrust his blade in and up, it met flesh past the resistance of his Aura. The man buckled, hands gripping his armor for the briefest moment before he wrenched the sword back out.

"El…" The man murmured as he fell, sinking to a knee and choking once. Then, he fell forward in a heap and the Arbiter turned, roaring his victory.

Another, distant roar answered and he flinched, turning to the ocean. Miles away, out in the deep ocean, a great black beast stood tall. At its arrival, dozens and dozens of Atlesian aircraft turned from the fight overhead to attempt to meet it. He watched many of them fall, pursued by Grimm out over the ocean, but they persisted and began to harry it as pylons rose from the water. A great barrier stretched from one to the next, and then a second row rose to do the same.

"Arbiter, Sir." A soldier called, three of them moving to him from. Behind him, the White Fang had been cut down or surrendered in the wake of Banesaw's death and while these three came to him those left set to work on arresting the Faunus and clearing their barricade. "The White Fang are broken, Sir, but the Grimm-"

The beast's roar cut the man off and drew his attention back to the gargantuan creature as it reared back and spewed a gout of fire that washed over the shields which now sealed the harbor. The first was of fire did little but spark and sputter on the impressive shields. But the second, which came a few seconds later after a throaty and angry roar, washed over one of the shield pylons. It exploded in a fiery display that left a gap in the defenses, through which the beast lumbered predatorily.

"Arbiter, Sir." His attention was drawn back to the soldier who, professional as always, went on, "We're moving to evacuation protocols, Sir. The Garrison Commander has slated you and your people a light strike craft to evacuate the city."

"What of your people?" He rumbled, "What of her?"

"She's going to buy time with the Colossus while we evacuate the citizens."

"The Colossus….?"

"It's a special-" The sounds of sirens cut him off, mixed in with the sound of scraping metal, so loud it carried even over the sounds of fighting overhead.

Lumbering out into the water behind the second shield, a massive machine moved, great legs kicking up waves in its wake. Dozens of Atlesian strike craft trailed around it, moving to intercept any Grimm that followed it. But the Colossus, for that was what this had to be, ignored the lot of them. Instead it spread its arms wide, missiles spewing from its shoulders and arcing up, over the barrier the Leviathan had only just reached. By the dozens, they punched into the beast, explosions echoing along with its rage-filled cry.

"People of Argus, fear not!" A thousand Cordovins spoke, echoing from every speaker in the settlement. Echoing and layered in static, the voice carried confidence. Emerging from the smoke, the Leviathan spewed fire and fury across the barrier, striking and shortly annihilating another pylon. "Proceed calmly to evacuation. I, Caroline Cordovin, shall deal with this pathetic creature personally!"

"Sir," the soldier called, dragging his attention away from the brewing fight and back to the man, "your transport is on its way. Please, remain here, it will pick you up and you'll be on your way."

"I… Understand." He nodded, turning back to the fight and sighing, "Luck to you, Caroline."

She would need it, he was sure. Even from here he could see the ragged end of the right arm, melted and blackened. Another segment further up looked the same, malformed and broken near the elbow. He couldn't make out much in the way of details, but the war machine was clearly damaged beyond proper use. And yet, there she stood in it, bold and defiant.

Truly, Humans were a race worthy of his respect.

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

"So, good news or bad news first?" Roland asked as he paced the bridge, waiting on an update from the AI. At his silent, visored glare, the AI laughed awkwardly and sighed, "Okay, so, I've narrowed the area the signal was coming from down to about a mile of-"

"_Was_?"

"That was part of the bad news, yeah. Here, let me… Do a thing." Roland nodded, using the room-wide display at the front of the bridge to bring up a _very_ rough map of the planet. Little more than the shapes of the continents and bodies of water, outlined in blue water, green land, and white borders between the two. A little circle popped up and zoomed in on the coastline of one continent while Roland explained, "So, I don't know why, but the signal cut out. I traced it to within this region, though."

"Diameter?" He asked, silently activating a feed-link from his helmet to his team down in the armory.

"Approximately seventeen klicks, Sir." The AI reported, rushing to add, "_But_, there's only one settlement in the region. The rest is rough forestry and mountains. I'd put my money on the Sangheili signal coming from the settlement before the _mountains_, personally, Master Chief."

"I see."

"But… _That_ leads to more bad news." Roland murmured, bringing up a grainy, clearly sub-orbital picture for he and his team to see. "I… _Think_ there's an attack underway."

"_Is that a giant god damn mech…?"_ Fred asked over the line, putting words to the Chief's own feelings.

"I believe that, whatever it _actually_ is, to be some kind of mechanised platform, yes." Roland answered with the barest hint of amusement. "And it appears to be about to engage a giant lizard of some kind, as well. If this signal is the Arbiter, and this city is where he was, he's not likely to _not_ be involved in a fight like this. Educated guess on my part."

"Roland, dispatch reconnaissance drones." He ordered, the AI nodding and winking out as he turned to leave the bridge. "Linda, Kelly, prep a Pelican. Combat loadouts across the board, additional ammunition storage. It's time for the 'rescue' part of 'search and rescue'."

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

"_Ma'am. Casualties are mounting, we can't evacuate every-"_

"Delegate resource extraction shuttles to civilian evacuation." She ordered as the Leviathan approached her and she brought her gargantuan arms back in a fighting stance. The creature lumbered forward and stopped, crouching low and hissing like the beast it was. "Delegate our own personnel craft if need be. The civilians come before anything else. Understood?"

"_Yes, ma'am."_ Her bodyguard answered, breaking protocol to add a final, quiet, "_I'll make sure they hear about this in Atlas, Garrison Commander. It's been an honor and a pleasure, Caroline. For Atlas!"_

"For Atlas." She answered quietly, face grim as she reached over and switched the radio system off.

A breach of a few _thousand_ protocols, she knew, but she needed to focus on the matter at hand. This fight would be hard enough with their Dust destroyed by the saboteurs, she didn't need the incessant chatter to add distraction to it.

Hissing angrily but unsure of what her machine was, or could do, the Leviathan crouched low in the water. Like the great serpent it was it cocked its head and leaned from one side to the other, inspecting her machine. Staying in her fighter's stance, the arm-cannon held back and down so at least the missiles could still be used when the fight inevitably began in full. At this range her shoulder-missiles would be ineffective, but the cannon-arm's were designed for such close encounters.

And if the monster wanted to _give_ her the time she was buying, well, she'd be a fool to force the matter.

Finally, though, it seemed to tire of waiting and reared up and back, flames flicking around its teeth. Her cannon-arm snapped up, her rockets popping out to prime, but there was a delay in using it. Only a moment, to target and fire, but that was enough for the gargantuan Grimm to lurch forward and spew its fire. Her Hard Light shields flared, protecting her from the worst of it even as she was pushed back, damaged arm coming up to protect her wide viewport from the flames while the other snapped up.

The devastating blow to the head staggered the beast and ended the fiery torrent. It hissed and retreated back for the weight and pain of the blow, snarling at her as she stalked after it. Snarling, it leapt and her damaged cannon snapped up. Its claws shattered through Hard Light segments and bit into the steel of its arms. Hanging off her it reared back and up, fire flickering in its teeth. Before it could, her hand came up, gripping the side of its armored head and forcing it aside. The fire still came, but it sputtered loose and useless in the air while they struggled.

"Come on, you bastard!" She snarled, gripping its head hard enough the bone plating cracked and then wrenching it to the side.

Its claws scratched through heavy armor as she turned, ripping apart her armor until it lost its purchase. The beast struggled, claws scraping across Hard Light barriers and armor both, but as she turned to face the city she still hurled it down into the water. It slammed down with a massive splash, waves surging out in its wake, and she raised her cannon-arm over it, missiles streaking into the water.

Suddenly, without warning, the missile-pod exploded, _slamming_ her to the side in the cockpit and blowing the right arm off at the elbow. Her machine had been damaged going into this fight, and she'd known that, but she still swore as the arm fell away into the water and she staggered back. Apparently, from the readout, a missile had failed to launch and then exploded, cascading throughout the arm.

"Damn it!" She snarled, moving back forward and slamming a foot down where the Grimm had been.

Her foot sank into the sand, mud and rock of the bay but found nothing else. Straightening she turned her machine, searching desperately for the suddenly missing Leviathan. It didn't leave her waiting for long, though, surging up from the water behind her and leaping onto her back. Metal screeched as its claws sank in all along her shoulders and hips, four sets of claws holding it up as its entire weight bore her down to a knee in the water. Metal and alarms both screamed as it sank its teeth into the back of her machine, ripping away hunks of metal while she fought to rise and reached back to try and get a grip on the monster.

"No, no, no!" She cried, fighting the controls as she spun and flailed, watching the power levels of her machine flare and fluctuate.

Finally, as her Hard Light generator went off-line, she got her fingers in its gills and found a frip, ripping it over her shoulder and hurling it down. As it went, it trailed metal ripped from her back, splashing down as she staggered back. Alarms rang out, warning of hull breaches, power losses, overloads and worse all along the Colossus's back and hips. As the Grimm rose she bared her teeth at it, opening her torso-mounted missile launchers and emptying their stock at it. The beast roared as the missiles struck home, and through the smoke, water and explosions, she saw bone armor fly into the air.

After a moment, though, she saw only water and ceased her bombardment, turning to once again reacquire the machine. Expecting an attack from behind she turned in time to see it rocked up from the water. Her fist came down to meet it, but that only forced it to slam into her waist instead of her chest. Already stressed, lacking power and damaged, the machine groaned and her legs failed.

For a brief moment she was weightless as the machine fell back, the beast's weight forcing her machine down faster than she herself fell inside it. Then she hit the water and slammed back, into her seat. Blue sky was replaced by blue water and then, glaring through her wide, blessedly reinforced viewport, the glowing red of the Leviathan's eyes. It roared mutedly in the water and she scowled, slamming her fist into its side to little effect.

Rising, it stood atop her mech and then slammed back down, its claws _crushing_ her armored chest and shoulders into the bay's ground. Water filling her compartment, she brought her hand up to grip its own, fighting to break its arm. It snarled and snapped to the side, closing its jaw around the offending limb and then ripping it away at the elbow. Shaking it like prey caught in its jaws it turned and threw it away, then rounded on her again.

Cordovin's last sight as her bay flooded was of water boiling around its jaws, before it snapped forward and shattered her viewport entirely.

"_For Argus…"_

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

Where the machine had fallen, the Leviathan rose, bellowing a defiant, victorious and challenging roar and then turning to one of the nearby Atlesian bases. As it neared, strike craft dove from the blackened skies, machine gun fire raking across its armored hide. It did little, though, and the beast continued on towards the nearest base. The defenders still there did all they could to fend it off, from missiles to small arms, but a gout of flame saw an end to that.

"They'll never get everyone out…" Ruby murmured, standing at his side in the little craft they'd been given and looking out the long, thin viewport on the door. She turned to him and asked, quietly, "Will they?"

"I doubt it dearly." At this speed, the UNSC wouldn't have been able to, at least. He'd seen them lose cities this fast, and seen the bodies left in the wake of the Covenant's 'glorious' conquests. After a moment, he added, "Ten percent, were I to wager."

"Of…?"

"Of the civilian population which will survive, at this rate, Yang." He answered, turning to the rest of their motley little crew, crammed into the little craft. Atlas had needed their larger ones for evacuation, and their pilots too, hence Maria and Qrow sitting in the cockpit. "There are too many, and not enough time or craft for them all."

"We have to do something!" Jaune almost shouted, trying to rise but being held down by his friends. Eyes wide, he went on, "Saph and Terra are still- They won't get out! We can't leave them!"

"We won't." Ruby assured him, looking between each of them and then landing on the Arbiter and holding out a hand. "Give me the Relic, please, Arbiter."

"Why?"

"I have a plan." She answered simply, sighing when his eyes narrowed and he withheld the Relic, waiting on her to explain further. "I'll ride on one of Weiss' summons, and use the Relic to lure the Leviathan away. Once it's away from the city, I'll use my Silver Eyes to kill it."

"Ruby, when I said a trial by fire, I didn't mean _this_…"

"I did it at Beacon, Maria." She countered, "Then again at Haven. I can do this, but I need to get it away from Argus first. At this rate, by the time I get close enough, it'll be on top of the city. Stone that size falling would kill a lot of people."

"I'm low on Aura." Weiss warned, "I won't be able to summon anything for more than a few minutes. Not long enough to get it out to sea."

"Can you hold it long enough to bait it along the coastline?" The Arbiter asked, the small woman nodding silently. Turning to Ruby he bowed his head, "I will come with you and together we will lure it along the coastline for as far as we can."

"Why?" She blinked, "Why are you coming?"

"Negativity attracts the Grimm, yes?" She nodded and he sighed, already knowing what was to come. "I believe I can be a font of that negativity. Between the Relic and I, we can lure the beast away. And should you fail, I can lure it away while you flee or try again."

"What?!" Ruby shouted, shaking her head and pointing a long finger up at his face, "No! This is too dangerous to even _think_ about that! You want me to use you as _bait_?!"

"I do."

"Well, I won't do it no matter-"

"Can you guarantee without doubt that you alone can kill the beast?" He snarled, leaning down and getting in her face challengingly. She blinked, hesitated for a moment, and then grimaced and held her tongue. "Can you? Without doubt? If you have even a fraction of it then you _need_ a secondary plan."

"But Arbiter, that's… That's one way." Yang murmured from the other side of her sister, eyes hard and face strangely impassive. As though she couldn't actually decide what to feel, in the moment. "If that goes down, you… You don't come back from going one on one with a Grimm that size."

"I have lived a long time, and taken many lives." He answered, turning a quiet look on her and then on Ruby. Almost pleading, he knelt and added, "I will not allow _any_ chance that more children die. Please, Ruby, if this is my fate… Allow me to save one of the cities I would have once burned."

"...Okay." She sighed, frowning and nodding. "But we try _everything_ else first. Understood?"

"Of course," He rumbled, "I have faith in you. You will succeed and we will journey to Atlas together. I have no desire to die, only to see you and this city safe."

She nodded and turned to work out the details with Weiss, who stood and took long draughts from the bottle of water she'd been offered. Turning, he took a deep breath and watched the monster ripping through the last Atlesian base, closest to the city itself. For all his faith in the girl, he knew the truth of what was to come.

"If the Gods will it… So be it, then." He murmured, laying a hand on the Bane at his waist. "So be it then."

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

**For those curious, Banesaw's Semblance was 'Momentum'. Basically, he was burning his Aura constantly and storing the continuous momentum of his chainsaw blade like a battery would electricity. He then discharged it in singular large bursts. Think Adam's Semblance, but instead of taking in outside energy, he uses momentum.**

**Also, making a fight with a guy that wields a **_**buzz saw**_ **was slightly more difficult than I planned. So… Sorry, if it didn't turn out great.**

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**Eclipse Metastar :**_

**Know of what you speak, I do not.**

_**Shirokama :**_

**Fixed it! My bad.**

_**Blaiseingfire :**_

**That would have been clever but I haz a plaaaaaan.**

_**CT7567Rules :**_

**The answer is 'Yes'.**

_**Thraus :**_

**Glad you enjoy it! There's a supporter's list if you *really* enjoy it~**

_**Combine117 :**_

**Wouldn't THAT be the biggest of red herrings, lol.**

_**Falloutman111 :**_

_**Especially**_ **the MACannon.**

_**Astute (Guest) :**_

**I mean none of his other titles make much sense, either.**

_**Razmire :**_

**The Grunts won't, no. But Banesaw put up a **_**fight.**_


	14. Argus - Finale

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

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_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

"I don't have much Aura left." Jaune warned as the ship came to a hover, kneeling on one side of Ren while Nora knelt on his other, the two supporting him together. A shimmer stretched out to encompass the young man and Jaune sighed, "Neither does Ren."

"We have to go, then, as soon as possible." Ruby nodded, turning to her partner kneeling behind the little trio. "Weiss?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." The woman sighed, turning to give her partner an anxious look. Her mouth opened to say one thing, then her head drooped and she sighed weakly. "Give me a hug before you go, Dolt. A-And make it a good one."

"Weiss…" The little reaper knelt and wrapped her partner up in a hug, shortly joined by the Faunus and her blonde partner. Finally, no more than a heartbeat later, she pulled away and smiled, reassuring them, "I'll be fine, you guys. I have super powered eyeball lasers! This'll be a cakewalk."

"The only walking you'll be doing is into the emergency room with a concussion if you refer to them as 'super powered eyeball lasers' again..." Maria sighed, shaking her head while she watched the Grimm go about their destructive business around them. "I hate to be the bad guy here, but time is a bit of a limited resource right now."

"Yeah," Qrow added, "the old lady isn't getting any younger, kids. Maybe we get this done before she keels over?"

The loud 'thwack' of her cane smacking out against his head drew anxious laughter from the lot of them. Limited as they were in it, one could be mistaken in thinking this a waste of their valuable time. But the Arbiter knew the value of morale going into battle, particularly against foes like the Grimm.

And he knew the importance of farewells before a mission, in the event the worst came to pass.

"All will be well in the end." He assured them all, turning to pull open the lightly armored door behind him. The wind whipped at his cloak but he ignored it, turning back to them all and nodding his head. "On the blood of my fathers and on the blood of my sons, I will guard her with all that I have."

"Thanks, I guess." Yang murmured, unable to quite comprehend the depth of his oath for obvious reasons. Turning to her sister, the woman spoke, "You better come back, young lady. Or… Or I swear to the Brothers, I guess since _those_ fuckers are real, that I'll tan your hide. And my right arm doesn't _get_ tired anymore."

"Yaaang." The girl whined petulantly, smiling as her sister ruffled her hair and then pushed her towards the door. Ren grunted before she could speak again, no doubt straining to hold their concealment, and Ruby frowned. "Miss Maria, get on the communicator and tell them we have a plan to buy time."

"Got it."

"We're going to land and help with the evacuation." Jaune added from the floor, giving Ruby a look when she frowned. "If you're fighting, we are, too. I won't leave my family behind. You _or_ my sister and her wife, and my nephew."

"Jaune…"

"It is time." The Arbiter grunted, laying a hand on her shoulder before she could say anything further. Ruby only nodded and turned for the door, taking a deep and steadying breath while Thel asked, "Your aid, young Schnee?"

The Schnee didn't answer, instead setting the glyph beneath her spinning and leaning on Myrtenaster.

As it turned out, riding a giant insect through Grimm filled air was precisely as difficult as it sounded. Sat behind the creature's wings, with Ruby in front of him, they were subjected to howling wind and sharp, jerky turns as Weiss maneuvered them through the airborne battle. Many Grimm came for them as they made their way towards the Leviathan. For now, at least, the beast had confined itself to the Atlesian bases, gleefully ripping them apart while Atlesian forces did their best to keep it contained there and distracted.

Grimm cared only to destroy and kill, and made no distinction between slaughter of civilians and slaughter of soldiers. In that way, they were not so different from himself only a handful of years ago...

"Grimm!" Ruby's words barely reached him over the whipping wind but reach him they did, dragging him out of his thoughts. "Down!"

The Lancer they rode on ducked down as a blast of fire soared over their heads, exploding in their wake. The Manticore soared by with a snarl that the wind snapped away. Turning, he watched the winged monster arc around to chase them, until a missile struck it from a kindly Atlesian ship that screamed by a half-second later. Still, as they straightened, he wrapped an arm around the young reaper so he could grip the armor of the great insect beneath her.

His trip down memory lane or the Relic, one of the two brought the Grimm towards them as they moved further into the great ball of swirling Grimm and Atlesian craft.

In his youth, he had learned to wield his sword while riding a Ghost scout craft, and this was little different. The Lancer weaved up, down and side to side, ducking by Grimm that lunged for them and wayward missiles both. Any Grimm which managed to get close enough for him to reach fell, gutted, missing limbs or, if he could help it, missing the wings that gave them their flight.

"The lamp." Ruby asked, holding onto her rifle in her lap with one arm and holding the other up, over her shoulder. He handed it to her as they neared the Leviathan and, so low he barely heard it, she murmured, "Let's hope this thingamajig works…"

Arcing around and over the creature's shoulder, the summoned Lancer brought them right across its gaze and slowed. The Grimm's eye landed on them as it straightened and they drifted by, its growl almost reverberating through the air and into his very bones. In a way that made his heart race and freeze all at once, it reminded him of the Gravemind when he had spoken to it once upon a wayward time.

They only lingered a moment before the Lancer shot off and away, towards the high coastline.

"Did it work?" Ruby called back as the insect raced away, its two riders holding on as best they could. "Did we get its attention?"

As if in answer, a great explosion threw water up and into the air, so far that it nearly showered even them.

In the wake of the froth and foam, the Leviathan pursued. A black shadow under the water that wormed side to side as it raced after its prey. Distantly, the great beast reminded him of the lurking terrors of Sanghelios, which would drag down any young warrior so foolish as to fall from the floating training platforms. A great, dangerous shadow that lurked, black beneath the waves, and pursued its prey as fast as it was able.

And faster, he realized with growing terror, than a steadily slowing Lancer could fly.

"Ruby be careful, the Leviathan is-"

His warning came too late, water exploding furiously from beneath them as the creature surged up from the depths, maw gaping to swallow them whole. The Lancer surged up almost instantly, but the beast was swifter. As its jaw began to close around them, Ruby turned and wrapped an arm around him. As the world began to darken, his vision swam, a mix of blue, green, brown, red and black all swirling together so much he felt his stomach churn.

A heartbeat and he felt his back slam into the ground, forcing the air from his lungs and sending a lance of pain through him that warned of _something_ broken in his chest.

"S-Still not good at carrying a lot of weight like that." Ruby murmured from the ground beside him, sounding distinctly _drained_.

Regardless, as the water began to rain down on them, she rolled over and forced herself up and he did the same. They'd landed on the cliff, in an open clearing overlooking the ocean. It was a nice view, he found, if not for the giant Grimm obscuring so much of it.

"Are you prepared, Ruby?" He asked as the Leviathan roared and thrashed, angered at having its meal robbed from it. It turned to them suddenly, as though intimately aware of where they were, and he scowled, pushing Ruby back towards the tree line and warning, "Our time runs _thin_!"

"I-I know, I just… Just need to _concentrate._" She answered, raising Crescent Rose across herself as though it would defend her from the snarling Leviathan. "Just need to- Jump!"

Together, they turned to leap away as the Grimm's claw swept down and across the cliff, hewing through soil and rock with a titanic force.

In its wake, the wind buffeted them, carrying rock and soil like grapeshot that sparked on his shields and drew cries of pain from Ruby as her Aura flickered and sparked. It reared back and brought its other arm across in an attempt to kill them, ripping up soil and hurling trees away through the sky.

"Ruby, you must-" He was cut off by an enraged bellow that sent tremors through him, making even the loose soil tremble as the two of them swayed and fell to their knees. Rearing up and over them, the beast growled, fire flicking between the teeth of its jaw. "Ruby…"

"I-I'm trying, I just need…"

"We are out of time!" He growled, drawing his sword as the howls of Grimm from the forest reached him. Overhead, more began to circle lazily, looking for a chance to dive down upon them and take them. "The Grimm come, Ruby. Strike or move, we must do one of these things."

"I-I know, I just need… I need…" The Leviathan reared back, maw open, and he leapt between them as the girl flinched and cried out, desperately, "Jinn!"

For a moment, all was quiet, frozen peace. The circling Grimm trapped in midair, fallings leaves floating as if held aloft by an unseen force, and the Leviathan's flaming maw frozen half-open. Flames spilled from its maw, flowing towards them lazily but frozen as the beast had ejected them to serve their ruinous purpose.

Now, it was almost beautiful. A painting, of sorts, albeit one that he knew

"You _do_ call my name in the most interesting times, Ruby." The venerable Spirit of Knowledge laughed as they turned, looking up at her floating blue form. She did not propel herself forward, though her feet and hair lazed along behind her, and instead floated towards the great beast with a small smile. "A Leviathan… And you thought you could just _zap_ it away with the power of your eyes?"

"I did it before…" Ruby argued weakly, relief and exhaustion mixing together with defiance as the spirit turned to look down on her. "Back at Beacon, I froze a-"

"A Great Drake." Jinn nodded, smiling pleasantly as she folded her arms over her chest and stretched back languidly. As though she were sitting on a chair that none but her could discern, even going so far as to cross her legs and look down on them. "I know. I also know that was _entirely_ an accident, and that you have only managed to use it twice since then, of which one was _another_ accident."

"Yeah, but… When I need it…" Jinn didn't say anything and Ruby gave up, sighing, "I'm sorry I called you without a question to ask. I just needed-"

"Time." Jinn nodded, smiling when Ruby returned the gesture sheepishly. "Which was the _real_ reason you thought to use me to lure the Leviathan away. A trump card, or one you hoped would work at least, if- _When_, it turns out, you failed to _perform_ right away."

"You needn't be so-"

"I don't mean to be _cruel_, Thel Vadam." The divine creation cut him off, turning a wintry gaze on him that sapped at his will. Watching him for a long, calculating moment, she sighed and explained, "I only wish to encourage her to be more cautious. That is all."

"I see." He rumbled, giving Ruby a sidelong glance and then nodding, "Forgive me, Spirit, I only-"

"You wished to protect her." Jinn interrupted once more with a curt little nod, smiling as a flare of irritation blossomed within him. "Forgive me. When you know all, including the thoughts in those speaking to you's heads, you can… Step on some toes, if you will."

"Sensible enough, I suppose…"

"I'm glad you understand." She nodded, smiling at something he didn't understand and asking, quietly, "How is that bruise by the by? You hit the ground rather hard."

"The pain has faded." To nonexistence, interestingly, though he supposed that meant the wound hadn't been so grave. Cocking his head curiously, he asked, "Why would you ask about such a-"

"No real reason." The Spirit interrupted, laughing when he scowled. "Oh, let me have my fun, Thel Vadam. Little Ruby needed time, after all, and though I won't be persisting for long without a Question, I can amuse myself to pass some of it."

"Thank you." Ruby offered quietly, "I appreciate your help, Jinn. Even if I had to, um, _bend_ the rules a bit."

"Or break them outright, though that is just your style." The Spirit laughed, shaking her great, beautiful head and leaning forward to hover, stomach towards the ground and eyes dipping down to be level with Ruby's. "And though I can offer little, I will, just this _once_, offer some knowledge for free. I will _not_ allow you to use me like this again."

"I understand."

"Good." The Spirit nodded, smiling after a moment and letting a little laugh escape her, "Although, I will admit, it _was _rather clever of you."

Jinn faded away and, around them, the world began to slowly turn once more. Leaves began to drift and fall again and sounds began to reach him once again, warped and stretched like a broken communicator's deranged broadcasts. And of course, the Leviathan began to loom closer, ruinous fire trickling further out of its jaws and towards them. Anxiety crawled up his spine for it, but he did nothing but wait, and place his faith in the small woman beside him.

Inside a moment, his faith was rewarded as a blinding white light rushed out from her, spreading around them like a detonation.

As the light faded away and his vision returned, he found the world moving as it should once more. The distant sounds of combat continued on as they had for hours yet, carrying over the sounds of the fallen trees settling and the waves crashing against the face of the mighty cliff they stood on. Little trails of black ash and smoke trailed into the air around them where Ruby had struck down those Grimm nearby.

Lastly was the now stone Leviathan, recoiling away from them mid-snarl, arms brought up as if to shield itself from Ruby's powerful strike.

"I did it…" Ruby murmured exhaustedly, cheering and then nearly falling as her legs gave out beneath her. His hand on her sternum gave her the support she needed to stand again, the girl laughing quietly, "That one… Yeah, that one took a lot outta me."

"At least it appears to have-" A deep rumble reverberated through him and cut him off, the Arbiter turning to look up at the great statue as a crack spread along the curve of its jaw and the bulges of its strange eyes.

"No…" Ruby murmured as more began to spider-web along its chest and shoulders, flecks falling away to reveal its glowing eyes once again. "No, no, no… No! It was dead, I-I killed it, I-"

"You need to run." He growled as the Grimm began to writhe, bucking against its stone constraints and snarling its fury.

Finally, massive swathes of the stone on its shoulders and upper chest gave way and its head reared back, fire spewing into the air as it roared in earnest and ripped one arm free from the stone. Its legs remained stuck for now though, even as it writhed, one clawed hand slamming down onto the cliff as it _pulled_ to try and free itself.

"You need to _run_." He repeated, turning from the beast to shove the Relic at the girl. She squealed from the force and stumbled back but he ignored her, taking the Bane up once more and sighing. "I will take its attention and-"

"I-I'm not leaving you, Thel." Ruby argued, turning as howling and baying once again reached them, echoing through the forest all around them. Clipping the Lamp on her hip, she raised her rifle, "More Grimm…"

"You must go, Ruby, before-" Once more, a growl cut him off, the Arbiter turning to look, wide-eyed at the half-freed Grimm.

Other arm free, it seemed satisfied for now and had turned its attention back to them, flames frothing around its teeth once more. He turned at the sound of heavy feet on the forest floor, Bane snapping up on instinct as a Beowolf lunged for him, impaling itself on his blade. Wrenching it free he hurled the smoking body aside and stepped forward at the next barely armored wolf, leaping forward and cutting down as it snarled, cleaving through its jaw and skull like a blade through butter.

"It's trying to breathe fire again!" Ruby called as her rifle cracked, the girl rocketing by him and spinning on her heels, the head of Crescent Rose extending like a spear to impale an unfortunate Ursa. "It looks like it's struggling though, so maybe it's reaching its limit. We need to-"

Her eyes widened and he turned to look up as the beast finally reared back, weak flames churning in its open maw. He saw it too and turned, ignoring the trickle of Grimm coming and leaping towards his small companion. On raw instinct he forced her down and turned, scowling up at the great beast, raising his armored arm to shield them both. As the scorching flames leapt down to claim them, he closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable.

He felt the roar reverberate through him, and the heat of the blaze, but not the fire. Opening his eyes, it was as though the fire was being held at bay by something he could not see. The torrent lasted a moment before it ceased and, feeling drained in a way a day of fighting didn't explain, he sank to a knee in front of the girl.

"You… Stopped the fire." Ruby murmured beside him, looking at the swathe of scorched "How did you do that, though…?"

He didn't know and the Grimm's savage, enraged roar on seeing them alive drew their attention before he could answer. Rearing back, the beast raised its claws, aiming to crush what had so mysteriously survived its blasts of fire. Beside him, Ruby looked just as tired, kneeling on the ground and covered in dirt and grime with her scythe on the ground beside her. Exhausted, both rose in a vain but primal urge to _move_, turning and staggering away as the Grimm's attack bore down.

The heavy and intimately familiar roar of chaingun fire pulled him to a stop, though, turning as a craft he'd seen millions of screamed by, raking the great Grimm in heavy munitions.

"Impossible…" He murmured, watching the Pelican arc around behind the Grimm as it turned, pursuing the new threat.

Its turn was wide and slow, the heavy-bellied craft turning its top to the Grimm as it turned, stone crumbling from its legs as it finally moved. A line of Grimm fire trailed behind the craft as the Leviathan turned, but the Pelican's pilot was a deft one, weaving up and down and then decelerating to dodge the seeking tendrils of ruddy orange fire. Finally, as the trailing fire died out, it snapped back towards the Grimm, rocketing right over its head. In its wake, the Arbiter recognized a little ball falling and turned, throwing up his cloak to shield both Ruby's and his own eyes.

The bright blue _flash_ of the flare-bomb burned his retinas even facing away from it, drawing a growl from him as the sound of engines neared.

"Come on." A familiar voice ordered as he turned, meeting the familiar gold visor of his old friend, stood on the lowered ramp of the hovering craft with his hand outstretched. "We have to move. Now."

"W-Who is-"

"My friend, the Demon." Thel answered simply, grabbing her arms and yanking her up by them, practically _hurling_ her towards the Pelican.

Her eyes widened and her mouth gaped, opening and closing like a fish as she fought to find her words. Before she could speak, though, a second Spartan stepped forward to pull her into the dropship and shove her into a seat. He gripped the Demon's hand and the Spartan pulled him up, turning to brace him as the Pelican shot away at all possible speed. Supporting him, the Spartan turned, guiding him into a seat as the craft lifted up and away, pursued by the rapidly receding Grimm's angry, bestial roar.

"The Grimm." The Arbiter grunted as the Spartan turned away, drawing his impassive gaze back to him, "The beast, the Grimm Leviathan, it must be slain. The settlement nearby, Argus, is in danger if it lives."

"It won't." Was all the Spartan said, standing firm in the bay and turning to speak a warning to the wide-eyed girl being strapped in by the other Spartan. "Brace yourself."

"For wha-"

Suddenly, it was as though an invisible fist had plunged down from an angry god, shattering the cliff face and sending water fountaining so high and wide that it extinguished the fires the Leviathan had started. The Leviathan itself vanished under the wash of earth, rock, plant and an ocean of water. So thorough was its demise that he saw nothing more from it, not even the black smoke which normally spoke of a dead Grimm.

"Arbiter." The Master Chief spoke, turning to look at him now the beast was dead, "My team and I were tasked to locate you and, if necessary, render assistance."

"I would easily go so far as to say you accomplished _that_, my friend, though I wish you had arrived five minutes ago." The Spartan nodded a small, mute apology and he returned it, glad for the man's stoic presence. Turning to his wide-eyed friend and smiling, he waved an armed hand at the standing Spartan, "Young one, I would like to introduce you to the Master Chief."

"H-Hi." She waved, "I'm Ruby Rose."

"John One-One-Seven, Master Chief, Spartan Blue team lead." He answered mechanically, nodding towards the armored woman beside him, standing beside Ruby's seat at the Demon's side, "Linda Oh-Five-Eight, Petty Officer First Class. Pilot is Kelly Oh-Eight-Seven, Petty Officer First Class. Co-pilot, Frederic One-Zero-Four, Lieutenant junior grade."

"I will… Try to remember all of that." Ruby blinked, cocking her head to the side and smiling apologetically. "Are there, um, shorter versions…?"

"John, Kelly, Linda, Frederic." The Chief answered simply, turning at the Arbiter's tired laugh and cocking his armored head to the side.

"Nothing of note." He assured the great man, shaking his head and setting aside his humor for the moment. "More seriously, that was a MAC. I presume you have brought a fleet?"

"Negative." The man answered, "Blue Team was directed to pursue and, if needed, render assistance to you. We have a single ship equipped with a light-MAC battery in orbit."

"You have a frickin' _space ship_?!" Ruby whispered, clamping a hand over her mouth when the two Spartans turned a look on her. Scrunching down in her seat she mimed zipping her mouth and smiled.

"We lack time to cover the issue in detail, but this is a Human world, Spartan. A Human world with a second race, and no knowledge of the UNSC." The Demon turned a look on him and, visor or not, he could read his surprise. It was in the subtle movements, the way he turned slightly more of his body to him, his hands curling and uncurling at his side. "As I said, we lack the time to cover the matter at length, and believe me there is _much_ to cover. For now, the city is under assault and needs our-"

"Kelly, prepare for a combat drop over the city. Find the largest concentration of combat and give the signal." He interrupted, reaching up, over the Arbiter's head to pull down his favored Assault Rifle, chambering a round in one smooth move and moving it to his back. "Frederic, you're piloting. Linda-"

"Don't have to say it." The woman murmured, pulling back the mighty bolt of her _obviously_ customised rifle and handing him a submachine-gun.

"Ruby, your friends." The Arbiter urged silently, the girl blinking for a moment.

"O-Oh!" She suddenly nodded, pulling her Scroll out of her pocket and flicking it open.

"_Ruby?! Where are you!? We saw the flash, but then it started moving and exploded, what-"_

"The Arbiter's space friends are here to help, don't ask questions, where are the Grimm at their worst?" Ruby rattled off quickly, before her panicked sister could go on. "They're going to help Argus, so meet us there, alright?"

"_...The Grimm broke through the gate when Atlas left." _Yang answered quietly_, "Maria says Atlas says they don't have the manpower to-"_

"Got it, see you there." Ruby nodded, closing her Scroll and undoing her straps, standing and pulling Crescent Rose off her back. She was tired, clearly, but she nodded grimly regardless. "I can point it out and if you can hold the gate, my team can start clearing the city. There's a lot of flying Grimm, though, can your space ship do anything about that?"

"Negative, but our Pelican will render air support." He answered, seeming to pause and regard her for a long moment. Stepping back and aside, he nodded towards the door as the slim, armored form of a shotgun toting Spartan emerged through it. "Frederic, Miss Rose will point out where to go. Bring us over it, and render air support where safe to, valuable cargo is remaining on board."

"Got it!" She nodded, vanishing past him and through the door as the Arbiter rose.

"You know that is not-"

"If you can survive a forty foot drop at seventy five milers per hour, you can come on this mission." The Spartan dismissed him, turning as Ruby returned and asking, quietly, "Time to arrival?"

"Um, five seconds." She answered, earning a nod as the Spartan turned and strode towards the open ramp with his team in tow. As he reached the edge, the girl blinked and asked, quietly, "Wait, are they- Holy grapes!"

He only laughed, watching the Spartans vanish over the lip and giving Ruby a look, smiling, "It seems neither of us will be helping any further."

Her petulant whine about not getting to see them fight earned an even wider smile and a bright laugh.

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

Wind and smoke whipped across his visor as they hurtled down over the walled settlement, towards an evident gate that they could see. A massive, almost mythical looking creature with a lion's head turned to intercept him mid-air and he sighed, tucking his legs in to roll over and slam foot first into its open maw. The force of a fully armored Spartan falling at that speed crushed its skull and turned him again, the Spartan spreading his arms and legs to quickly readjust as the ground closed.

Fifteen feet out he rolled again, thrusters flaring as he and his Spartans slammed down just inside the gate.

Around them, more beasts turned, snarling at them but apparently surprised by their sudden arrival. Wolves, bears, small raptor-like beasts and winged horse-like monsters on roof-tops made him feel almost like he'd fallen into one of the old myths they'd all been taught in their training days. Better days, in a lot of ways…

"Linda, roof-tops, clip their wings. Kelly, right side, I have left, share center." He ordered quietly, drawing his rifle and straightening slowly. Green lights flicked on his HUD to confirm his orders, as little as he needed them to know his orders were understood. "Engage."

He didn't even finish the word before the heavy 'crack' of a sniper rifle echoed, spearing two of the flying lions and sending them toppling down the roof and onto the street, trailing thick smoke.

_That_ seemed to prompt the creatures into acting, a dozen of them rushing along rooftops and through the streets towards them.

Four rounds apiece burst from his rifle into the throats and heads of the rushing monsters, sending them sprawling as Linda's shots found their homes in the flying monsters above. A dozen died and a dozen more emerged from broken homes, alleys and around corners from streets he couldn't see, rushing towards them madly. Firing the last of his rounds he raised his rifle and slammed a foot out, braining a bear-like beast as he slammed a fresh magazine home and put a burst into a wolf that leapt over it.

If fell back and away and the Spartans backed up as more of the monsters came.

On his left three monsters leapt, and snapping back as Kelly's buckshot ripped into their chests. The third hit her and she fell onto her back, rolling smoothly and planting her feet in its chest, kicking it into the wall behind her hard enough to crack the stone. Rolling onto her knee the woman raised her magnum, single rounds barking out to end more of the monsters as her other reloaded her shotgun.

More and more came, roaring and falling to his Spartans' defense, either for bullets or fists and boots that crushed them.

They never stood a chance.

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

**And so, finally, everything comes together. The day is saved, even if all the **_**people**_ **aren't, and a lot of neat information came to light.**

**For those I know who will go 'Wait, the Arbiter did something to stop the fire? How?' go back and reread the rescue at the school. Some, I saw, picked up on what happened there **_**instantly**_**. And I foreshadowed it far earlier, when the Arbiter was learning about Aura and the like from everyone and denied Ozpin's offer to unlock it for him.**

**I hope that was a good reveal, and I hope I pulled off the Blue Team arrival decently, too. **

**I even tossed a bit of combat at you too! I spent a while asking how I could make 'Blue Team smacks pissant Grimm' interesting and gripping, but found little answer. So I went with offering a tidbit instead. In future, against greater Grimm like Beringels, Death Stalkers, Giant Nevermore and the like, I will write more in depth fight scenes.**

**B ut here, it seemed needless.**

**Hope you all enjoyed!**

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**Blaiseingfire :**_

**Yes! It did!**

_**Error Sans :**_

**So long as I have passion and supporters keeping it afloat, I will continue to create.**

_**Dr Killinger :**_

**The **_**Black Sun**_ **is equipped with a light MAC battery and a prototype Plasma Lance along the spine and belly.**

_**Hey Mr Jack :**_

**Glad you like it! Only started it since a Supporter asked me to but it's been fun to write and learn.**

_**Combine :**_

**This is actually fairly close to canon events, minus the Arbiter's obvious presence. All I did was make Cordovin cooperative and add the White Fang as an antagonist instead. In canon, RWBY and co very much did destroy the machine and very nearly brought the fall of Argus.**

**RWBY is a **_**very**_ **dark show, and if you disagree, watch V7.**

_**Rook 435 :**_

**Oh I know, it sucsks. But the moment I made Cordovin the character she was I knew she'd die. That's part of why, while still a raging racist and nationalist, I didn't draw too much attention to her politics. I wanted to let her be a heroic character here, so there you go.**


	15. Another Way

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

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_**Priests, **_**The Impossible Muffin**_**, **_**Xager the Chaos King.**

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_**If you want to be on the Supporter list, PM one of us for details or join our private server for details. Hope you enjoy reading my stories, please leave me a comment to let me know if you did, or where I can improve. Link here, where able to be seen : **__** /2UZncAm**_

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_**I have a kofi account now, too, under this name for those interested.**_

_**Beta(s) : **_

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_***Captain America walks in and sits down on a chair, smiling gingerly***_

_**So, you forgot how Spartans treat their first names and did a whoopsie-**_

**In all seriousness, my bad there. I already drafted out the next chapter, though, and don't wanna re-draft for that so… *shrugs weakly* Just a whoopsie Imma leave, I guess.**

**Sorry.**

**Also, wrote this with a fever, so sorry if it starts rough.**

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

"We're landing." Their Spartan pilot warned them nearly two hours later, as the sounds of battle began to trickle off into distant skirmishes. "Friendly forces on the ground and in the air have the situation well under control, apparently. And we need to conserve our remaining fuel to burn back to the _Black Sun_ anyway, so we're being ordered down."

"W-Wait, you're leaving?" Ruby turned to him, eyes widening in sudden surprise and, heart warmingly enough, _worry_. She blinked, though, and then sighed, shrugging and turning to look away from him, around the cabin, "I mean, I guess I knew you would sooner or later. But still… Snuck up on me."

"I… Suppose it did for me as well, yes." He rumbled, unsure for a long moment what to say with the dejected girl beside him. Then she sniffled, and he stammered, "B-But, well, you see, even if I were to _leave_ I would have to return swiftly. To bring my people here, to aid your plighted world."

"I know." She nodded, giving him a warm, earnest smile, "And thank you so much for that, your people… They can save a lot of lives."

"Indeed they can." It would be glorious and, once word of magic and the Relics began to spread, possibly even bring a sense of unity to his people not seen since the Covenant. Hopefully minus the 'overbearing and genocidal religious cult' aspect, of course. "Regardless, I am afraid that you will have to put up with me for some time yet, young Rose."

"Really?"

"Of course." He nodded, cocking his head to the side playfully, "Who else will be the first among the Huntresses to fight alongside and speak for my people?"

"Why would your people need that…?"

"Because your own will nearly certainly fear them, after all." He answered simply, giving the woman beside him a far more _sober_ look. Which, to his dislike, robbed her smile of some of his warmth even before he explained, "Your kind hate each other for as mild differences as a tail or a horn. _Mine_ are far different than this, and wield power like this world has never seen before. Once they realize what we can do…"

"Yeah. Space aliens with giant ships will… Probably be kinda scary to a lot of people." She sighed, nodding morosely. Rubbing the back of her neck with a groan, she forced a smile and a weak laugh, "You, uh, you might have better luck starting at Menagerie, honestly."

"Menagerie?" He blinked, confused for the briefest moment before he recalled it, "Ah. the Faunus homeland."

"_Do not_ say that in front of Blake, but…" She grimaced and shrugged, still massaging her probably sore shoulder, "But yeah, pretty much, at this point. I-I mean not really, 'cus of stuff, but, like- Ugh, forget _that_ part, okay? Dust and Brothers I'm bad at talking about that stuff..."

"Of course." He nodded, fighting to suppress the little chuckle that bubbled between his mandibles. She heard it, of course, and turned a little glare on him for it. Chuckling more he rested an elbow on a knee and his head in the palm of his hand, considering her words, "Starting with the Faunus… Appeals, I suppose."

"Really?"

"The Covenant, for all its faults, was multi-racial and understood how to organize and construct to accommodate those different to us." He answered simply, giving her a small, sidelong look as he thought and spoke, "The Unggoy, for example, do not breathe air as we do."

"They don't…?"

"Grunts breathe a complicated mix of gases mainly consisting of semi-pure methane." The piloting Demon interrupted, having apparently been listening to the conversation the entire time. "And Arbiter, the Chief wanted me to notify you, we… Don't actually have an active way back yet."

"What?" He blinked, "But you came here by ship-"

"When we land," Frederic interrupted, his voice crackling loudly over the dropship's internal speaker systems, "the Chief will decide where and when we go over the issue. He just didn't want you to get invested in shooting off right away when he knows that we can't. That's all."

"I see." Unfortunate news, but then, he couldn't deny the kindness the Spartan had shown in considering his feelings. Rescuing him per orders was one thing, considering how he felt on a matter was a wholly different one. "Thank you, De- _Spartan_, " he caught himself, "for the information."

"Yep." The man answered, "Landing in a minute, so be ready for the jolt, kid."

"Regardless," the Arbiter rumbled, using the moment they had to finish the conversation, "my people are most adept at engaging with other races with their own needs. The Unggoy are not even the race with the most complex or difficult physiology to accommodate for. So, perhaps, going to the Faunus first to establish a presence on this world has merit."

"Oh." She blinked, surprised for a moment and then beaming a smile. "Well, happy to help and, uh, I… I hope it works out for you, Mister Alien friend!" For a moment, the both of them paused, until he slowly cocked his head to the side and she flushed, "That sounded dumb, didn't it…?"

"The tiniest of fractions, my very small friend." He laughed, patting her shoulder with his great hand. The action drew a surprised, quiet little 'eep' from her and nearly shoving her out of her seat, drawing _yet another_ laugh from him.

Then, the dropship shuddered as they landed and the exit ramp began to descend.

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

Roland was… Well, let's just say _less than pleased_ with the performance of the _Black Sun's_ prototype super-light MAC installation.

"Okay, maybe that isn't fair." He chided himself as he continued listening in on the Spartan communications, running a ship-wide diagnostic of the _Black Sun's_ systems now they'd gone through the firing and repowering sequence - ONI had included a directive for him to, after all, this being a prototype loadout and design - and passively scanning what he could see of Remnant. "The cannon itself did its job just fine."

It was the _rest_ of the ship that had problems.

Firing a Mass Accelerator Cannon resulted in intense force being exerted on the ship for several hundred tons of obvious, ferrus-tungsten reasons. Unless the system was damaged in some way that altered the magnetic couplings and systems throughout, then the kinetic force would fire the projectile in a perfectly straight line out of the barrel of the weapon. Resultant force from the mass displacement would then propel the ship _backwards_, away from the so-called 'thrust' of the weapon.

Early models of the MAC had failed for that reason, destroying the frames built to fire them by shoving the weapon through them, hurling them out into space or simply _blowing them apart_.

The UNSC had quickly developed countermeasures for these gaps in the technology in two ways. Firstly, they designed their ships with reinforced sections around the spinal-mounted weapons to, rated to take the structural impact of firing it at all. Later versions would add kinetic stabilisers and more advanced technology, but this remained a staple for its simplicity and versatility. Since a ship built to withstand _that_ could, typically, structurally withstand greater impacts that other designs.

Not to mention, the design philosophy had already become entrenched in UNSC design engineering, and Humans as a species _loved_ routine. Even if it was only sometimes as something to _break_, like with the _Black Sun_ itself.

Usually, along with aiming and firing control of the cannon itself, ship-board AIs were given a special override control command for their ship's reactor and thrusters. When the MAC fired the reactor would temporarily draw on other, less important systems and pour that energy into the thrusters. Then they would burn at exactly the same amount of force the MAC put out, calculated to the smallest decimal point by the AI themself.

He had those here too, of course, but that brought him to the _real_ issue the ship faced.

The reactor wasn't powerful enough to charge the main cannon without drawing on almost every drop of power the Prowler's reactor could produce. It could charge _to_ fire, but doing so pressed the reactor to its peak, and shut every system on-board down to do it. Only a couple systems remained online, all tied into the operation of the MAC itself and a single low-power terminal he had been forced to place most of his matrix into to operate the thing.

It was _not_ a comfortable experience, frankly, but it functioned.

_Barely_, at least.

ONI's scientists _had_ thought to at least re-engineer and install an upgraded reactor model, but the output had barely even been _touched_. Instead they'd prioritised systems to retain stability in the reactor and prevent catastrophic, more _fiery_ overloads that reactor max-clocking could result in. Then they'd installed a relatively simple auxiliary system that retained less power than the average light which would automatically restart the engine if it was forced to shut off.

Or, well, _when_ it would shut down, since the MAC always took it offline.

The whole process only took thirty seconds or so, but without the engines flaring to account - assuming _those_ were strong enough to counter the MAC in the first place - his ship had been launched back from the shot. By the time all systems had come back online, the ship had drifted nearly twenty kilometers through empty space.

"At least I thought to make sure I had the room…" The ONI directives and regulations on the 'Cannon didn't mention doing it.

He added _that_ failure to his long report of system updates, structural commendations - the hull was completely stable, surprisingly - electrical systems, and the weapon itself. He hated how well engineered the ship was, really, considering it was for _ONI_…

"Roland." The Master Chief spoke, broadcasting directly to the bridge and pulling the AI out of his musings and report making.

Or, well, pulling some of his attention out of it, the AI directing half of his processing power to a subroutine to finish it up while he answered, "Yes, Sir?"

"How is the _Black Sun_?" The Spartan asked quietly, "Effect on target from the cannon was good. Damage to the settlement nearby was minimal."

"All systems are green, Sir." He answered happily, glad that the field test had gone so well. "Systems powered down as a result of firing the main gun, even at less than full charge. But the drift was minimal and restart systems all activated as needed to recover in… Twenty eight point seven nine seconds, Sir."

"Impressive." The Spartan didn't _sound_ very impressed, but hey, Spartans were odd ducks sometimes. Instead he asked, quietly, "Anything to report besides?"

"Negative, Sir." He answered, "Passive scans aren't showing anything of note that the _Black Sun_ can detect, at least. Planet or space, same thing."

"A shame." The Spartan responded quietly, finally managing to emote a little if only to sound disappointed. "Anything of note about the planet?"

"Ii have identified a few hundred small settlements, villages mainly, scattered across the two largest continent. Further, I have ear-marked twenty-nine apparent se-based shipping ports, and the harbors they go to." Planetary trade was among the most important things to understand when getting involved with one, and sea trade was the most _common_ one he'd detected thus far. "The northern continent seems to be under… Lockdown, though. Not sure why, yet."

"Atlas." The Spartan grunted quietly, explaining how he knew quickly, "Some soldiers here are from there. One mentioned 'rotating back up north' for a rest."

"Right." He catalogued the name away for future reference, "Details on the settlements in question vary, but… Nothing important that I can see."

"Understood." One-One-Seven grunted shortly. A quick check on the _Black Sun's_ systems registered One-Zero-Four as above the Chief, so he understood why. Still, the man asked, "System scans?"

"So far?" Roland asked, a rhetorical question. "Nothing worth mentioning beyond the obvious, you know, _number_ of planets and the like. With permission, and since we don't have anyone or any_thing_ trying to kill us right now, I'd like to work on figuring out more. We have plenty of drones, and this prowler has the software to run 'em, so I'd like to map the system out. Identify anything valuable."

"Granted." The man grunted, "I'll leave it to you. But stay in orbit over Argus, in case we need support or extraction."

"Aye, Sir." He smiled, already prepping a quartet of mapping probes and cracking his proverbial knuckles. "I'll be on call when you call."

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

They were directed to a moderately large, _heavily_ repurposed plaza near the center of town. Standing on the lowered ramp while the Spartan brought them down carefully, he looked down on the plaza with a deep grimace.

The plaza's fountain, the statue in it having been destroyed in the fighting, had been shut off and drained, then filled to the brim with white and grey crates from the military bases. More Atlesian crates, many of them dented, burned or otherwise damaged, had been stacked around it and then out in long, thick pseudo-walls that marked out the landing areas loosely. Machines and soldiers, some sporting bloodied bandages but still moving, came and went from the piles for whatever they needed, ferrying the goods out of his sight.

The buildings around the plaza had not been spared either, smashed out, burned and broken in innumerable ways. Heavy, off-grey burlap and canvas tarping covered the grisly brick and stone wounds the same way the bandages obscured the soldier's. That is, _barely_, but enough that they were serviceable, seemingly having been appropriated into aid stations, storage locations and everything else the people needed to begin the process of rebuilding.

The city had fared little better, smoke trailing out from the city around him as his eye trailed along it.

"Hey." A small hand on his arm caught his attention, the Sangheili turning a look on the Huntress beside him. She smiled softly, cocking her head to the side, and asked, "You okay?"

"I'm quite-"

"Don't lie to me." She chided, silver eyes suddenly like steel, boring up and into him challengingly. Softly, she added, "We're friends, Thel. Trust me."

"I…" He sighed, shaking his head and watching the drones below clear a path for their ship. "This is all too familiar for my liking, Ruby. How many died here? How many have lost all they knew? How many people? Children? And how different was I to these beasts, when I descended upon world after world as they do?"

"Thel, no person is as bad as a Grimm." She said simply, taking a breath and letting it out slowly. "I've been thinking more and more about you. How you fight. What you've _done_."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," she nodded when he looked and asked, quietly, "and know what I decided?"

"What?"

"You're… A monster, Thel." He stiffened and she turned to him, smiling more softly up at him, "But you're not a _monster_. You weren't born to kill and destroy, like the Grimm, you were _made_ to. Trained to obey, without question or-or hesitation, and then used."

"I see…"

"Yeah." She leaned down to meet his eyes and raised an eyebrow, smiling, "Know what else I think, though?"

"Hm?"

"I think that monsters can be the best heroes." She answered simply, as the ship shuddered to a final landing. She didn't pay that any mind, though, finishing her thought, "I used to watch movies and play games when I was little. And a character said something to me once. He was a monster, too. Like, even by his _own _standards."

"What was it?" He asked, turning to face her fully.

"The words were 'What is better? To be born good, or to overcome your evil nature through great effort?'" He blinked at the words and she smiled widely, adding, "Big ol' dragon said it in a game I liked, and… You make me think of it."

"I see." He murmured, tasting the words and nodding for how they felt in his head and his heart. Hearing the Spartan emerge from the cockpit he smiled, offering a last, final, "I think I understand your words, little one."

"Good, because-"

"Ruby!" The girl turned and he turned with her as the blonde jogged up, notably alone and _covered_ in grime and filth, but beaming widely with her arms spread wide.

"Yang!" Having rested from their fighting, Ruby burst into petals and rocketed away as the Spartan pilot reached them, materializing to slam into her blonde sister. Tired, the blonde woman collapsed under her weight, the younger woman cuddling into her happily and screaming loudly enough he could hear it across the couple _yards_ she'd crossed, "Ohmygoshit'ssogoodtoseeyouYangwekilledthebigmonsterdidyouseethatexplosionfromspace?"

"D-Did she just turn into-"

"You grow accustomed to it, Spartan." The Arbiter laughed, cutting the man off and turning to lay a hand on his shoulder. He felt the soldier stiffen uncomfortably at the touch and sighed. Once more back to the norm… Dropping the arm he explained, "This world is _quite_ unlike your own. Its people even moreso."

"He did _what_?!" He heard Yang scream in shock, turning as Ruby dragged the blonde towards them, the rest of the Hunters trailing along tiredly behind them. Wide-eyed, yang asked, "You blocked the Leviathan's fire breath with your _hands_?!"

"I…" He gave the tired, wide-eyed young warriors a slow once over, shifted uncomfortably on the spot and then turned to the Spartan. "W-Where are your fellows, Spartan?"

"Three minutes away." The man answered quietly, arms folded over his armored chest. "You did _what_?"

"I'd rather wait until the Master Chief is-"

"He's listening." The man cut him off, reaching up to tap a finger against his helmet simply. "So go on."

"Very well." He sighed, turning to the children and taking a deep breath. Gesturing at Ruby he started, "When her Silver Eyes failed to entirely petrify the Leviathan-"

"I'm sorry _failed to what_?"

"-we panicked. We were wounded, exhausted, and trapped in its gaze." He finished, turning a laugh on the Spartan at the man's expense. More soberly, and quietly, he went on, "Its mouth was frothing with fire, and we could not escape in time. I grabbed her to shield her in the vain hope the gods would spare her and… Instinct took over."

"He raised his hands like this." Ruby explained for them all, putting her hands up like she was casting a spell, wrists nearly touching and fingers splayed wide. "The fire just sort of… _Stopped_. Parted. Like it had run smack! Into a wall it couldn't burn through."

"You have a Semblance?" Nora laughed, shaking her head and pushing Jaune forward when he only shrugged. "Check, Jaune-Jaune!"

"Only if the Arbiter is fine with it." The blonde chided as the others let him by, turning an apologetic smile on the Arbiter and then cocking his head and holding a hand out in a clear question.

Anxious but resigned, Nora would _never_ let it die now it was in her head, he took the young knight's hand.

The sensation was… Quite unlike anything he'd ever felt before. Cold, but bolstering, as if the chill breeze itself was a great bounty. To eat and rest on, gathering his strength back to him quickly. Sore limbs and bruises suddenly ceased to ache, a cracked rib he had been ignoring for hours suddenly sliding into place in his chest and forcing the breath out of him in a heady rush.

Then, the sensation was gone, and Jaune was smiling, "I felt it! You have your Aura. When did that happen?"

"I do not know." He murmured, dropping the hand and thinking. Then, he blinked and offered, tentatively, "At the school."

"The one that was bombed?" Weiss asked, hair falling loose now, her tiara held in a hand and letting the long locks fall around her shoulder.

"Indeed." he turned a self-conscious eye on the patient, confused, but _listening_ Spartan beside him and then on the cluster of battle-weary warriors. Quietly, he explained, "There was a hole, dug out in the rubble. Children trapped behind something heavy. They called for equipment, to cut and free them. I volunteered the Prophet's Bane instead."

"It was hot, _sweltering_ even, but I cut them free as I offered." He went on, the children and the soldier listening intently, "Once I had, the rubble began to… Shift. For fear, I grabbed the beam I had cut and began trying to lift it and the rubble laying atop whatever was connected to it. Only… It was too much. I could not lift it."

"But you did." Blake offered tiredly, ears flicking anxiously at all the sounds around them, "You told us you did."

"And I did." He nodded, holding up his hands and looking at them as if they would help him explain. "I was losing it, the weight was too much, but then… I felt these little hands on my own, clinging to me. Pushing it up and- I felt _strong_."

"In our greatest hour of need, our Auras, even our _Semblances_, can awaken on their own. To save us, when we need it most." Ren commented quietly, Nora giving him a look and taking his hand at the words. Smiling, the grimy, sage man nodded his head at him, "Yours came to save another, though. Not yourself."

"It says a lot about you." Ruby added, "And all of it's good, too."

"Indeed," he nodded, "I suppose that… Is true."

That was when the other Spartans decided to arrive, though, rounding a far stack of crates and striding through the semi-crowded plaza. The soldiers and droids parted for them but most didn't pay them any mind. Which, he was willing to wager, was _quite_ odd for the Human warriors. None seemed to mind, though, gazes ahead and weapons in their hands as they moved to join them.

"Spartans." He greeted as they reached them, stepping through his crowd of younger friends to meet his older one. "How went the fight at the gate, then? Your armor is so clean, I hope these beasts were enough to entertain you."

"They weren't a problem." The Spartan answered unsurely, giving Frederic a look and then turning back to the Arbiter after a moment. "It… Sounds like there's a lot for us to go over, Arbiter. I need to brief you on the situation in orbit and you-"

"Need to brief you on the situation here, on Remnant." He nodded, understanding the man's desire easily. The Spartan returned it but, before he could speak, the Arbiter did so, "There is _much_ to cover, Spartan. Foremost among the topics, I have sword my sword to the fight these children pursue."

"Sworn your sword?" The Spartan repeated, testing the words and the concept to make she he understood both right. When Thel nodded, the Spartan did as well, "Very well. What kind of fight? To protect the city? I'm willing to dedicate the _Black Sun's _support to it until it's secure."

"No, nothing so… _Base_ as protecting one city." He turned a look left and then right, looking for those who might be listening, and then returned his gaze to the Spartan. At the gravity in his wariness and the way he spoke, the Spartan tensed, anxiety showing in his straighter stature and ever so slightly inclined head. "Theirs is a fight for the survival of their races, Spartan."

The four large Humans shifted at that, if only just. The markswoman pulled her rifle closer, while the other woman tapped the side of her heavy shotgun, checking its ammunition. He could not see Frederic behind him, but the Demon gave him a more level look. Thinking and evaluating, in a way he'd done several times before. On Earth, then the Ark, and everywhere in between the two.

"I see." He finally spoke, voice low, "Our job is to protect you, Arbiter, and get you back to Sanghelios. Your people need you."

"I am sure." Left unsaid, he knew, was that the UNSC also needed him. To keep the Swords of Sanghelios on the path, and not splintering apart. The Elites turning against the Humans was something he knew they were _more_ than simply terrified of. To _that_ end, he offered, "Once you have heard all my friends and I know, you… Will understand that _this planet_ will bring my people unity."

"You're certain?"

"Ask it, and I shall bet my life on it." He offered gravely, raising the Bane meaningfully between them. "If the truth of this world cannot unite my people, I will fall upon this blade in shame."

"What?!" Ruby squawked, flashing between them and glaring up at him, "You are _not_ allowed to promise that!" Her form suddenly deteriorated into flowing red petals and then she reappeared, pointing a finger up, in the Spartan's visor, "And _you_ aren't allowed to ask him to."

"I… Won't…" The Spartan blinked, looking from her to Thel and asking, "That's a Semblance, right?"

"Speak to her, not to me, Spartan." He laughed, lowering the Bane and adding, "For now, though, we ought retire. Or make to, at least. We can speak more about all these things aboard your ship, if you will allow it."

"I suppose." The Chief nodded, looking them over and seeming to almost sigh. He didn't, of course, but the Arbiter could imagine it from the way he adjusted his rifle and turned back to him. "We can go, then, if you're-"

"Uh…?" Jaune raised his hand, pushing between each of his friends and then in front of the Spartan.

"Yes, Mister...?"

"Arc." He answered, "Uh, _Jaune_ Arc, that is." Scratching the back of his head he thought for a moment and then pointed out, shrugging and letting his arms droop to his sides, "We, uh, kinda went to fight without one of us. And left our stuff at my sister's place. And, uh, she'll kill me if I just _up and leave_, so…"

"We'll go get our stuff and say bye to everyone, then." Ruby nodded, giving the Arbiter a look. He nodded and she turned to the Spartans, straight faced and ignorant of whatever judgement they were offering her. "You guys can stay here and wait. Maybe an hour? You can help with clean-up and we'll be right back."

"Clean-up…?" The shotgun wielder murmured, giving the Arbiter a look that _screamed_ 'is she serious?

"If that is what she wishes then-"

"Mister Scalyface?" He blinked and turned, looking down on a tiny girl that barely reached past his knees. She was dirty, her hair cut short to her shoulders, and she held a bear tight to her chest in spite of its missing ear. "I-I can't find my daddy. He was here a few minutes ago b-but I can't… I can't…"

"Shh, little one." He rumbled, kneeling down and laying a hand on her head. Now he could get a better look at her, he recognized her, asking, "You… Are the little girl from the school, aren't you?"

"Mhm." She nodded, looking at the Hunters and the Spartans anxiously. Suddenly, she pulled away, murmuring, "I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have bothered you, y-you're with the Hunters."

"Nonsense, youngling, we were simply… Catching up, before we parted for some rest." He rumbled, plucking her from the ground and tucking her against his chest. It was dirty, but so was she and she didn't seem to mind, curling up along the length of his arm and letting him hold her. To Ruby, he murmured, "Tell little Adiran and the women I bid them well, but that I was busy."

"Got it, Mister Scalyface." He grimaced but she only laughed, moving on without paying them any more mind and with her team in tow.

"Arbiter-"

"I have a child's parent to find, Spartan." He interrupted him, turning to his old friend with a small smile. "We shall speak in a time. For now, I wish for you to know that those children are people who I have fought and bled beside. Grant them the chance, and they will earn your respect."

"I…" The Demon paused to consider him and then sighed, holstering his weapon on his back and turning to his team. "Stow your weapons and assist with the work here, for now. I'll help the Arbiter find the girl's father."

"Yes, Sir." They both answered, moving to do as he ordered without any complaints.

"Thank you, Spartan." The soldier only nodded and he turned, speaking to the little girl quietly. "Can you show me where you left your father, young one?"

"Mhm." She nodded, pointing across the way at a building marked for triage. "He told me to wait righ' there for a minute. But s'been an hour, so… I-I… He went to get me food, b-but the monsters-"

"Are gone, little one." He rumbled soothingly, "Beginning to make his way towards the building she'd pointed at and adding, cheerily, "Shall I tell you a story while we look, little one?"

"A story?"

"Indeed." He answered quietly, "About… About the Monster and the Flower. Have you heard this one?"

"Nope."

"Good." He'd only just made it up after all. "Then I shall tell you a new story, and you may tell your friends." She nodded, and he began, "So, the Monster woke up, all alone in a mysterious wood…"

While they looked for the girl's father, he knew that his old friend was listening intently. And through him, most likely, his fellows. Which would make things all the more convenient for him, really. He did so hate having to tell the same story twice...

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**Gamer Droid 56 :**_

**I responded to your first critique in the starting AN.**

**To the second, they were actually fairly far from Argus when it struck. A light MAC battery round, from my research, sends collateral shockwaves up to a mile away, with major - building destroying kinds - ending at half that, especially if there is dense blockages to obstruct them. **

**I didn't specify how far they were **_**exactly**_ **for the express purpose of letting that be wibbly wobbly.**

_**Smokey Panda :**_

**So.**

**Did you figure it out?**

_**Doctor Snake Eater :**_

**XD**

_**Combine 117 :**_

**Glad you enjoyed it~!**

_**CT7567Rules :**_

**I intend to show off the **_**Black Sun**_ **and the UNSC's power to varying extents, yes, for a reason I will save for later. However, bare in mind that everything they have is limited. X amount of rounds, power for their ship, etc.**

**Also, I like Weiss having that moment, personally.**

_**Falloutman111 :**_

**I went and read that when you mentioned it, and it won't go that way for various reasons. For one, the Black Sun **_**has**_ **its Drive. And, theoretically at least, a way back to Sanghelios. **

**I do **_**plan**_ **to ape that story a bit, but **_**that**_ **won't happen until/unless I do the Halow Wars story idea I have.**

_**Razmire :**_

***eyebrow wiggling***

_**Tank Beats Everything :**_

**I addressed the Spartan thing above. But, on this being underrated… Thel isn't a particularly favored main character for various reasons. Knew it goin' in. *shrugs***


	16. A Story, And A Conversation

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

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_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

"Tell me, Spartan, what did you think of my story?" He asked as they trundled away from a happy father and daughter, left behind to eat their meal together. The Spartan beside him only turned his head slightly, regarding him silently, and he added, "I know you were listening."

"I was. And my team as well." The Spartan answered quietly, explaining simply, "Listening over squad-comms while they work."

"I suspected as much, yes." He nodded, explaining when the Spartan turned a brief gaze on him, one that he knew for the silent question it was even from behind his visor. "Your brother Demon, he told me you and your kin were listening to our conversation through his helmet. I presumed that such was the norm, among your kind."

"Among many of them, yes." The Spartan nodded, explaining in brief, "Tactical flexibility. We can project video or audio feeds to our unit."

"Understandable." He didn't need an explanation on how such features could be applied, tactically, and the Spartan respected him enough not to bother offering one. Humming, he added, "Often, I consider adopting your people's methods for their cleverness and usefulness, you know."

"I didn't." His friend answered, adding more quietly, surprised, "Thank you."

"Why do you thank me?" He chuckled, turning a wry look on his friend beside him, "I steal your ideas and methods to empower my own people. I should think a Spartan wouldn't like that sort of thing."

"A Spartan? Not normally, no." He answered simply, adding quietly, so much so he almost didn't hear it with the sounds of reconstruction around them ringing in his ears, "But I know you, Arbiter. You're not an enemy of the UNSC."

"I pray such remains true while I breathe and beyond, Spartan." He rumbled quietly, soberly, "For fact, I pray that the peace and friendship between our peoples might only strengthen, and outlast all but the stars themselves."

"I hope for the same." The Spartan nodded, adding in what, for him, passed for a joking tone, "Even if I don't pray."

"Mhm." He nodded as the Pelican came into distant sight, visible over the steadily growing mound of supplies and materials. Curious, he mused aloud, "I wonder where the supplies and materials came from, that they are so abundant."

"Stockpiles, sheltered across the city in special depots maintained for when these things happen." He explained quietly, after a few moments of silence. He turned a curious look on him and the Spartan explained, "Kelly asked a soldier overseeing clean-up efforts and search and rescue."

"Ah, I see." He nodded, musing further, "Such is as sensible as it is grim, given this world's threats. Humans have always been a tenacious lot besides, I'm unsurprised they have plans in case for such tragic inevitabilities."

"The UNSC had similar stockpiles and preparations, during the war." The Spartan returned, giving him a slow, sidelong look. After a moment, presumably to consider, he spoke, "They were rarely used."

"My people did not often attack your worlds and not then…" Burn them, he wanted to say, but the words stilled in his throat against his will. Instead, he only sighed, "Regardless, I digress. This is not what I asked you about."

"Your story." The Spartan nodded, giving him a look, "It was all true, then?"

"All of it." He nodded, letting out a tired sigh. It had been a long day already… Rest could come later, though. For now, he added, chuckling, "And yes, even the part about the 'great blue spirit' and the vision she imparted onto the heroes."

"Mhm." The Spartan hummed, processing the information for a moment and then asking, quietly, "The 'Monster'?"

"Something Ruby said to me." He explained, watching those they passed work while they wound their way through the crates and debris, towards the Pelican. "She said that I was a monster made by the Covenant. A beast, conditioned to obey and massacre at my master's wanton, corrupt command."

"And you agree?"

"I do." He nodded, watching the Spartan for his tiny little reactions. The Spartan watched him in turn, visor impassive but turned fully to face him and hands flexing at his side. The only _real_ tell the Demon had was his hands. "She also said that she believed that monsters made the best heroes. Overcoming their evil natures to do great good. That it was easy for someone with every chance to be a hero to, in the end, be the hero."

"Nature versus nurture." The Spartan supplied, explaining when Thel turned a look on him, "What we are _born_ as versus what we are made into. It's a theory of psychology, debated among many circles. The underlying question is wish is most important. One's natural base psychology, or one's developed psyche."

"You speak like a man that engages in said debates."

"Spartan training included basic understandings of psychology." The Demon answered simply, "As well as various other sciences and history, both cultural and factual."

"And this was useful to you?" Thel asked, earnestly fishing for information now, "These studies of things not related to war aided you? Your kin?"

"You tell me." The Spartan joked, or at least he did what passed for joking for him, "I believe that the Covenant knew our success rate as well as we did.

"A fair answer indeed, my friend." He chuckled, shaking his great, armored head. After a moment he asked, quietly, "What are you, then? A Spartan made, or a warrior bred?"

"Would it matter?"

"No, I would suppose it would not." And he knew when a warrior didn't want to consider, much less speak about, something uncomfortable. The Spartan was hard to read, the signs were the fore one perceptive enough. His hands, fists at his sides, and his shoulders set like stone. Instead, he nodded towards the Pelican and mused, "Your allies await us."

"I ordered them to stay near the Pelican, and to be waiting when we got here." True to his word, the Spartans were waiting.

The two women were nearby each other, standing at the top of the ramp and leaning against the inside of the hull to either side. The other man, though, had relaxed more than them. He sat on the bottom of the ramp, leaning back against it with his hands folded across his stomach, the perfect picture of careless ease. As if nothing around him posed him any threat, and so he had no reason _not_ to be at ease.

Which was probably the case, to be frank. Thel doubted that any here were Hunters, and only Hunters could truly hope for a chance at facing a Spartan.

"Spartans." He greeted, bowing his head slightly as he reached them and the other man, Frederic, rose. "How went the work?"

"We're not laborers." Frederic grunted shortly adding, in as clear of an after-thought as he'd ever seen, "Arbiter, Sir."

"He means that we don't like a civilian giving us directives." The markswoman offered, not bothering to look up to him. Instead, she stared at the floor and, he could almost imagine, didn't bother opening her eyes. After a heartbeat she added, with just a scrap of _heat_, "Or an _Elite_, for that matter."

"Linda." The simple, quiet name, barely more than a mutter from the Demon, brought the woman's attention around and to them. All he did was shake his head, so slightly even he very nearly missed the motion.

After a quiet moment she nodded understandingly and pushed off the Pelican's hull. To him she said, "I apologize, Arbiter. I was out of-"

"Breathe no apologies to me, Spartan." He cut her off, waving a hand between them and then shrugging the matter off. "My sins are graver than I have any right to live to bear, I know this. You owe me no apology for their weight drawing out your ire. If you wish to apologize for breaking decorum, then consider it accepted. Both now, and in the future, should you ever express your ire again."

"...Noted." Was all the woman said, nodding curtly and turning a silent look on the Master Chief.

He nodded and, at a slight jerking off his head up, at the Pelican, the other Spartans turned. As they climbed aboard the landed craft the Demon turned to him. Another moment passed and he sighed, nodding towards the Pelican and grunting simply, "We need to talk, Arbiter."

"Understandable." He murmured, watching the Spartan join his companions. Turning to look for the yet absent children, and finding no one, he sighed and followed him.

The four Demons were waiting when he stepped into the darker interior of the craft, the women leaning against the hull that separated the cockpit from the seats. Kelly gave the other a look and Linda shrugged and shook her head, earning a shrug in return for her silent words. Frederic sat closest to the two women, his arms crossed and head down, seemingly lost in thought. He turned slightly as he stepped into the Pelican but soon his gaze returned to the floor, one finger tapping on his armored bicep.

The Master Chief, though, sat just inside the Pelican's entrance, watching the work outside while the Arbiter settled in across from him.

"So…" Frederic started quietly, "Where do we start, then?"

"Magic and gods sound about right." Linda answered, "Kelly?"

"Magic and gods."

"What do you know about either?" The Chief asked quietly, apparently serving as the mouth-piece of the group.

"For the most part?" He asked rhetorically, leaning forward to rest his arms on his knees and watch the work outside. Or, more accurately, to watch for the children's return. Without looking to the Spartans he spoke, "The Gods of Light and Dark, created this world, now known as Remnant. Salem went to them, first to plead and then to war, and they left this world. After annihilating most of those living upon it."

"Humans?"

"Humans." He nodded, turning to regard the woman that has spoken, "The Faunus came after the Destruction. Evolution, magic, godly intervention, I know not what brought them about. Only that by the time Ozma was brought back by Light, they were here."

"Ozma?"

"The Ageless Wizard." He explained, referencing his tale to the lost child, "The Wizard who dies and is reborn again anew, in a new body, to face the Dark One. Salem."

"...Fuck me gods are real." The markswoman sighed, shaking her head and waving a hand for him to go on. "Magic and gods."

"They charged Ozma with the task as I told it." He answered simply, "To unite the world and summon them back, for a day of reckoning. A day of _judgement_."

"And you intend to help bring this about?"

"No." He had, until that moment, been unsure. But the ease of the answer brought with it a surety he had not felt since he plunged the Prophet's Bane into Truth. And so, he accepted it. "I intend to protect this world, as the gods charged Ozma to do. To unite it and bring peace, if I am able."

"But not to summon the gods."

"No." He sighed, shaking his armored head, "They have proven themselves cruel, capricious and temperamental. Were they to grant this world their _mercy_," he growled the word, "then I have little doubt that they would, in time, devastate it once more. Or force the world to bend the knee to their whims, to reshape itself to their design."

"And you think this mission will unite your people?"

"In the service of the gods' goal of unity and peace among Humankind on this world, yes." He nodded, grimacing after a moment and adding, "In centuries, I fear a great conflict over whether to call them for their judgement. But that is a trouble for a distant day, and this world bleeds _now_. My people, those not needed on Sanghelios to rebuild and restore, can be of great help here, on Remnant."

"Then let's take you off world and search for a way back to Sanghelios." Frederic said, turning a look on the lead Spartan and then on Thel himself when the Demon nodded his permission. "Our job is to protect you, and if this world is _half_ as dangerous as you say, you're at risk here. On the _Black Sun_, you'd be safe."

"I need to speak with people here." He answered, shaking his head and sighing, "The terror of my warships suddenly looming low in the sky… I might as well burn the settlements myself for all the kindness that would do."

"But-"

"Forgive me, but I will not be swayed on this matter." He cut Frederic off, turning to the Master Chief with narrow, hard eyes. "Atlas has promised me one of their craft to get to the Kingdom. And if you will not volunteer your ship for the venture, I will make use of it. So, decide our course, Spartan."

The Demon was quiet, for a long moment, before he finally nodded and turned to Frederic, "We'll be transporting the target to the Kingdom of Atlas for a meeting with local dignitaries. Once negotiations are properly under way, and more information is available on the matter, we will revisit returning to Sanghelios."

"Yes, Sir."

"Got it, Chief."

"Sir."

"Frederic, Kelly, prep for take-off." He ordered quietly, leaving Linda to her own devices and turning back to him to offer him another small, curt nod.

"Thank you, Spartan." Thel rumbled, bowing his head in gratitude, "Believe me when I say that this is the way. The way to a brighter and better tomorrow for millions of Humans and Faunus."

"I believe you." The Spartan nodded, turning and taking his seat. After a heartbeat he added, quietly, "You have an Aura."

"I do." Thel answered, "Though I know not how to properly wield it or my Semblance. As you already know, on both counts."

"Hm." Whatever the Spartan thought about that, or even why he'd asked a question he knew the answer to, he left unsaid. Instead he asked, "You're going to demand we allow those civilians-"

"Hunters are not _civilians_, Demon." He cut the Demon off, sighing good-naturedly when the Demon turned to look at him. "They are warriors. I ask that you accord them respect, and not refer to them as mere civilians. As those who need _protecting_."

"Hunters, then." He nodded, "I suppose you'll want them allowed roam of the _Black Sun_?"

"As much as I myself would be, aboard a Human warship, yes." Though he suspected that would in actuality count for quite a little access, it was still a point of merit. He would not see his comrades treated without due respect, after everything they had been through. "I hope that is not a problem?"

"No." He shook his head, "We'll only be aboard for an hour, while we move to an orbit over Atlas."

"Thank you, Demon." He said bowing his head, "I am grateful that you are kind enough to-"

"Oh Mister Scaaaalyfaaaaace!" A familiar, energetic voice called, drawing his attention around to the base of the ramp as the children, laden with their packs once more, approached the bottom of the Pelican's ramp. Smiling, Nora bounced from one foot to the other, holding out a little box to him, "A present from Jaune's family!"

"Oh?" He asked, rising, "What is it?"

"Caramel apples and your cloak!" Ruby called, holding the second item up for him as she stepped up and into the Pelican. He took it and nodded his thanks while the young woman bounced on her heels and asked, eyes wide and excited, "Soooo, canwegotospacenowpleaseyouguysIreallywanna-"

"If you're talking faster than a bullet, _don't_." Linda cut in, sighing and shaking her head tiredly, "I caught the first part, and yes. We're going to space."

"Once you've all boarded." The other Demon added meaningfully, easing back in his seat and nodding for them all to get aboard.

"You will be the first of your people to leave your homeworld, even if only for a short time." The Arbiter murmured as they all boarded the Pelican, Nora handing him his little box of warm, sweet smelling confections. While they all settled in, the two Spartans standing to make space since they would be more steady, he added, "You should, each of you, feel honored."

"Will we be able to see Remnant?" Ruby asked from beside him, bouncing eagerly in her seat.

"The _Black Sun_ doesn't have windows or observation decks." The Chief said quietly, actually flinching ever so slightly when Ruby turned wide, obviously sad, silver eyes on him. Her shoulders sagged after a moment and the Spartan sighed, "But… It won't cost us fuel to drift for a moment. And let each of you take a couple minutes to look."

"Ohmygoshthankyousomuch-"

"Words are not _bullets_." Linda groaned again, earning a chuckle from the other Hunters.

Then, the Pelican's ramp began to close, and its engines began to hum to life. Within a few moments he felt gravity shifting as the crafted maneuver to punch up, through the planet's atmosphere and into space. As the turbulence worsened, he heard those who had never made the journey from ground to space murmuring curses, assurances to each other, and even a prayer whose origin he didn't know.

Then he heard a gasp and Maria swore, "I can't see!"

Then he heard something heavy hit the deck, followed by a hiss of pain. Ruby ducked and, when she came back up, she was holding Yang's mechanical right arm and stammering, "U-Um, Sis?"

"That fuckin' _hurts_!" The blonde growled, snatching the offending limb away and glaring at it, "The hell?"

"Dust doesn't work once you leave the atmosphere." Weiss sighed, shaking her head, "I forgot- I can't _believe_ I _forgot_!"

"To be fair," Qrow sighed, "it's not the _most_ important part about Dust sciences."

"Tell that to my eyes!" She said, pointing a long finger at the man across from her. Her other hefted her walking stick and she threatened, "My semblance still works, so don't think you can get away if I decide to smack you!"

"...Your Semblance works?" Jaune finally said, turning a look on Weiss.

"I use Dust for mine, besides the Summoning which needs space." She waved him off, "And Ruby's needs space as well."

"If one works they all work." Maria laughed, snapping her fingers and adding, "I might not be the first to see Remnant, but I _am_ the first woman to use her Semblance off the planet!"

"We're turning about to see the planet." The Demon said quietly, interrupting their conversation. "Youngest two first, then partner pairs."

Ruby was out of her seat and dragging Oscar up from his before the man finished the word 'youngest'. Thel only laughed while the Demon stood and opened the door to let them through to see through the window at the front of the cockpit. Today, he decided, had been a good day.

At least, in the end.

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

**A short chapter, but one with, in my opinion, a lot of good dialogue and character moments. Getting word count up is harder when there aren't any fights, I find. And yet, no easier, lol.**

**Hope you all enjoyed it!**

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**Falloutman :**_

**Even I, sometimes, make mistakes or slip up. I am, after all, only Human.**

_**Green the Ryno :**_

**They've seen some shit. Just not 'girl turning into rose petals for locomotion' levels of shit.**

_**Smokey Panda :**_

**Glad you puzzled it out, lol. And hope you keep enjoying the story!**

_**Kpmh2001 :**_

**He is! It's honestly kinda strange imo.**

_**Combine117 :**_

**Semblances aren't magic, but yeah. Shit's weird on Remnant.**

**Also, I can't have Thel and **_**not**_ **Rtas. That's, like, a sin among sins. **

_**Rook :**_

**I really should update my profile to list more of my new ideas… My idea begins and ends, currently, at the Spirit of Fire ending up at Remnant, unfortunately.**

**As for the rest of your thoughts? S'alot of spoilers, so no comment~**


	17. Splitting the Party

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

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Almost as soon as the ramp touched down on the armored interior deck of the _Black Sun's_ small hangar, the children were moving. Ruby and Nora were the fastest, while Qrow and a pained looking Yang were the slowest, the former letting Maria hold onto his arm as a guide on. The rest of the People of Remnant were scattered between the first and the last, with the aliens stepping out behind the slowest of the People.

Which, he supposed, was a fitting name for at least the Humans of Remnant.

They would need to delineate between UNSC Humans and Remnant Humans for many very obvious reasons, after all.

As he stepped out of the armored transport and into the Human ship proper, he took in the hangar around him. It was small, even by Human standards, with enough space to one side for the Pelican where it had parked. On the other, a pair of Warthogs rested, one fitted for transport and the other sporting the heavy, multi-barreled machine-gun that was so well associated with the light vehicle.

On the other side of the light vehicle, sat against the wall, were several crates around man size with labels consisting of numbers and letters that, needless to say, he could read but couldn't _understand_.

"Spare supplies and loadout materials." The Demon said when he noticed Thel's curious gaze. He turned to the Spartan while he explained quietly, "Spare parts to maintain the vehicles and weapons, spare materials for repairs, tires, fuel, and a small selection of weapons that can be fitted into vehicle hard-points. We don't have a vehicle bay, but we can do limited retrofits."

"A Gauss cannon?"

"One." The Demon nodded, "But only twenty canister rounds."

"Ah." He nodded, turning away from the mess to the milling Hunters and the Spartans watching them. "A Gauss would have been advantageous."

"Mhm." The Demon nodded, "You'll just have to make do with four super soldiers and a MAC enabled starship."

"How ever will I survive?" Thel joked, shaking his head wryly and watching Ruby and Nora both absolutely _fawn_ over every piece of machinery they didn't recognize while their partners tried to keep them from breaking anything. Quietly, he asked, "Shall I get their calm, or shall you?"

"You know them better."

"Now would be as good a time as any to rectify such." He tried, chuckling lowly when the Spartan only turned his head to give him an unamused, impassive look. Standing beside his comrade he called out, his voice echoing in the smallish hangar, "My friends, if you please, the Demon would speak."

It only took a moment for the young warriors, and Qrow and Maria as well, to collect themselves and bunch up in a loose circle at the base of the Pelican's ramp.

"Are you alright for a briefing?" The Spartan asked quietly, looking to Yang who was leaning on her partner with a pinched face.

"Not really, but not a lot of options." The blonde shrugged, a hiss of pain shooting through her teeth in response. Grimacing she joked weakly, voice tight with pain, "So, uh, shrugging is _bad_, I guess."

"Why is that happening?"

"Our implants are connected right to our nervous systems, like normal arms are." The blind huntress explained quietly, holding onto Qrow's arm like a life-line, "They have sensors and things I don't know anything about that manage the signals and the like for us, prevent the pain and stuff. But those run on _Dust_, so… So, as far as our brains are concerned, we just lost 'em again."

"And it hurts like a _mother fucker_, too." Yang growled, adding under her breath, "Makes me glad that horned bastard knocked me out the first time…"

"You got knocked out?" Maria laughed, shaking her head amusedly, "Lucky you. I still had to keep _fighting_ when my eyes got gouged out."

"You fought without _eyes_?"

"My Semblance is Preflexes." Maria explained with a little smirk, albeit a pained looking one, "It lets me sense and predict the movements of people around me before they even make them. Blind or not, I can still fight, and _they_ didn't know that until there was a scythe in her back."

"Impressive." The markswoman nodded, turning to the Chief, "I can take them to medical. Small doses of pain relievers to last through the trip."

"Good idea." The Demon nodded, asking the two women, "Are both of you alright with morphine injections?"

"Oh _fuck_ yes, drug me, _please_." Yang grunted, shuffling forward with her partner for support. "Where and what do I sign to make this _not_ feel like someone just lopped my arm off again?"

"Linda will show you the way." He answered simply, turning to his other two Spartans while the woman led Blake, Yang and Maria off. "Frederic, Kelly, inspect the Pelican for damage and resupply our ammunition stocks."

"Sir." They both nodded, turning to do as they'd been ordered.

"Arbiter, I need you to choose-" the Spartan hesitated and, after a moment, addressed the room at large and seemingly corrected his course, "Choose who to represent your group. While the others rest and recover, we can discuss and decide our next steps in the bridge, with Roland."

"Um, question…?" Ruby murmured, holding up a hand nervously. The Spartan seemed to hesitate a moment, surprised by her actions, and then nodded patiently for her to speak. "Um, who is Roland? Is he another Spartan?"

"No, I'm not a Spartan, Miss." A disembodied voice answered, sounding amused at the mere idea of it. The Arbiter already knew what the voice was but for the younger's benefit, they explained, "I'm the ship-board AI, Roland. I run the ship's internal software suites and handle minute targeting and power systems."

"So you…. _Are_ the ship?!" Ruby blinked excitedly, slowly bouncing on the spot. As the bouncing sped up and petals began to fall, she started to ramble excitedly, "I mean, are you _actually_ the ship? Or separate? 'Cuz I had a friend that was an AI, once, and I always wondered if her body was her or if it was _separate_ or-"

"That is a _lot_ of questions, young lady." The AI laughed brightly, "And maybe at some point, we can get to them. But for now, can we focus?"

"I guess, yeah…"

"Hmph. Watch this." The Arbiter murmured to them all, Ruby turning to him with confused, furrowed brows. Cocking his head to the side and pointing down he said, simply, "Right now, we're standing atop a just under one hundred meter long giant railgun, Ruby. It's what killed the Leviathan down by Argus."

"That's…" Ruby blinked owlishly ,processing his words, "Big."

"Indeed." He grinned, turning to the Spartan beside him and asking coyly, "The cannon runs the entire length of your ship, I presume?"

"...It does."

"That's such a big gun!" Ruby squealed, flashing to the Spartan's side and grabbing onto his shoulders, beaming a wide smile at him, "How does it work? I know he said it was a railgun, so is it a railgun?"

"Yes, it's-"

"That's. So. _Awesome_!" She squealed, bouncing in front of him excitedly while the Spartan watched, his own head bobbing slightly to match her excited bouncing, "How does it work? I don't think using basic magnets would be feasible on a ship this size, at least from what I saw from the dropship's cockpit. Are they special magnets, then? They'd have to be, really, so I'd guess some kind of composite material capable. What does it fire?"

"Roland." The Arbiter laughed, laying a hand on the excited girl's head and rustling her hair. While she flailed and fled from him, trailing petals to hide behind Jaune's armored form, he asked, "Could you do me the kindness of preparing a data-pad with whatever you are allowed to share on what MACs are and how they function?"

"Can do, if the Chief okays it."

"Sure." The Spartan grunted anxiously, taking a step back, "Non-classified materials only."

"Of course, Master Chief." Roland answered, sounding amused at either Ruby's excited antics or the Arbiter's own. Whatever the case, he moved on fairly swiftly, "The briefing room is prepared, Sir. There's an array of stored and connected data-pads in it I can forward the information to, if you want, too. I'm already using some of them for briefing packets as it is, so it won't be a hassle."

"Do it." Chief grunted shortly, adding to the assembled Hunters, "Your representatives?"

"Me, Ruby and Qrow." The blonde knight said instantly, explaining _partially_ unnecessarily, "We're the team leaders for our two teams, and Qrow is the oldest Huntsman we have. So, uh, that will work. If you have any rations and water, Ren can… Manage getting everyone else fed, too?"

"That crate over there." The Demon grunted, pointing at a crate labeled 'RP-0001' across the hangar. "Take what you need and get yourselves some rest. The _Black Sun_ is already under way to Atlas."

"If I might make a suggestion?" Weiss started, earning a nod from the Spartan, "Do _not_ take us down there, no matter what, at _night_. Atlas' sensors will probably still detecte us, but if they can't _see_ us they might assume we're a Grimm and open fire."

"Prowler class vessels are designed for stealth."

"True enough." Thel nodded, adding quietly, _tiredly_, even, as the stress and rigor of the day made themselves known, "But we do not know how Atlas detects things, and a few hours of rest isn't undue, after everything. You may be fresh and rested, Demon, but forget not that these warriors and I have been engaged in battle for hours passed."

"...Noted." He nodded, turning and waving for the four of them to follow him further into the ship.

Normally, Thel knew as well as any Sangheili if not better, Human Naval security didn't opt for taking his people on straight paths through their ships. Be they diplomats arriving for meetings about trade or relations, officers aiming to coordinate maneuvers or even prisoners being moved for interrogation, they would be taken on circuitous paths. Winding through the bowels of the ship, up and down several lifts, and often-times made to double back entirely if the ship was small enough to need it.

All to the end of ensuring that no matter what came of the meetings or talks, the Sangheili was _entirely_ unlikely to know their way through the ship. Which had obvious security motivations that he and every Sangheili could understand if not outright accept. How could that Sangheili's information make easier a Spec-Ops Lance's infiltration of the ship if he knew it so poorly, for instance?

Or, in the case of a prisoner, where to go to _escape_.

The Demon, though, made no such security oriented overtures. Instead, he and his comrades were led down a single long hall-way and then into a room. It was, as per the norm for UNSC ships and designs, simple. Utilitarian, in a word, with dull grey walls enclosing it. Each of the longer walls sported simplistic screens, lit in cool blues and whites and displaying the UNSC emblem in the exact center. The table and chairs that split the room were much the same, albeit reinforced heavily, presumably for Spartan use.

Same for a single chair at the end, made of purple neo-laminate and _clearly_ brought in expressly for his use.

"You even arranged a seat of my people's making for me?" He laughed as he eased into it, if only to mask his pleased sigh. "I am grateful, Demon, for the charity."

"Not charity, Arbiter." The Spartan assured him, looking at his own reinforced chair for a long moment before sitting in it, setting his Assault Rifle on the table in front of him. Sitting beside Thel, the Spartan added, quietly, "Diplomacy."

"Are they so different?"

"Yes. Charity is giving something with no expectation of any kind of return, Diplomacy, though, expects returns." The Demon answered quietly, adding in his odd way of humor, "You would hate charity."

"So I would." Thel laughed, "So I would."

"I bet it's nice, though." Jaune murmured, adjusting his sheathed sword and taking his own seat opposite the two of them. At the Arbiter's confused cocking of his head the knight explained, "Having a chair _made_ for you to sit in it, I mean. I know you never complained, but, well…"

"Your butt's shaped different." Ruby shrugged, setting Crescent Rose on the table the same way the Demon had and then settling in beside the knight while Qrow leaned against the wall behind _both_ of them. "Your legs are, too. It makes sense that our chairs and, you know, _stuff_ might not be super comfy for you."

"Even if _these_," Jaune rapped an armored knuckle against his chair's armrest, "aren't made for _us_, they still aren't made for your, uh, race."

"Indeed they are not." Judging by the size and reinforcements, they were scarcely for Human use, either. More likely they were special, designed exclusively for Spartan usage. An odd thing to design, then, considering their low numbers…

Unless the UNSC was making a vast number _more_ of them, to justify the effort.

"I think we should focus up." Qrow grunted tiredly, "Everybody's worn out, and none o' this is important anyways."

"We were just talking, Uncle Qrow, geez…" Ruby sighed, though, and shrugged her own complaints off. Turning to the Arbiter she asked, "You brought the Relic with you, right, Thel?"

"I did." He nodded, pulling it from his waist and resting it on the table between them all. "Why do you-"

"Jinn!"

As always, he felt the strange nausea of the world around him shifting in the core of its very fabric. It was a now familiar kind of pseudo-vertigo, overtaking him in a gentle wash and then settling into place. The flickering of the lights on the walls and the screen's rotating feedback icons were the most telling of it all, though. They slowed to a crawl and then, inside a second that, he supposed, didn't truly exist they froze.

"Ahhh!" Jinn, the Blue Spirit of Knowledge, yawned as she stretched out and then sighed, reclining along the table's top languidly, her feet in front of them and her head near the door, eight feet away. Sitting up and folding her legs under her she hummed in amusement, "My, my, I _never_ thought that I would be summoned _here_, of all places."

"On my ship?"

"No." Jinn blinked, looking at the Spartan and cocking her head to the side, an amused smile splitting her face, "Actually, yes, in a detached kind of way. Really, I meant I never expected to be summoned _in orbit_. When the people of The World can't _get to it_ under the power of any technology they have broached. Much less by the same person, for the third time..."

"I don't have a question for you… Again." Ruby said sheepishly as Jinn's gaze turned on her, "But I figured that, you know, maybe checking your rules didn't need one, so…"

"Clever, once again." Jinn chuckled, floating up and into the free space over the table, reorienting with her arms folded under her chin. Ruby shrank into her seat under her scrutiny until, finally, Jinn sighed and relented, floating up and sitting with her legs crossed, as if on an imaginary mat. "Summoning me for clarification of my rules is allowed. _Once_. Three questions per century, you may not summon me without one, and yes, I do work off world."

"Okay." Ruby nodded sheepishly, "Thank you."

"Mhm." The spirit nodded, turning a small look on the Spartan beside the Arbiter and then frowning. "The Master Chief."

"You know me?"

"I know _everything_." She laughed, cocking her head to the side, "Who you are, what was _done_ to you by that woman, Halsey… How tragically necessary it was. And all you and yours have lost. Every single name, _Missing In Action_, not even granted the painful kindness of a funeral for propaganda..."

"..." The Spartan stiffened audibly, the arms of his chair groaning under his fingers as he ground out, lowly, "I think we're done, Ma'am."

"Indeed." She smiled, the blue of her arms and legs beginning to pale to white and then fade away. In parting she said, quietly and finally, "I am bound to answer all questions asked by Humans, _John_. If you ever need me… Simply call my name."

"Spartan." Thel rumbled once the woman had faded away and the Relic descended, floating majestically over the table in reach of them all. The Demon didn't respond and, gently, he dared to touch his arm.

In a flash, the man was on his feet, reinforced chair _crashing_ into one of the screen's behind him as one hand batted his arm away and the other snapped around, leveling his Magnum on the Arbiter's chest.

"What-"

"Arbiter!"

"Hold, my friends." He called out, holding up a hand to placate them, aware of the sword in Jaune's hand and Ruby's rifle, leveled on the Spartan's armored back even though it would do nothing.

Instinct, he supposed.

And, useless though it would _definitely_ be, he appreciated it.

"I'm sorry." The Demon said quietly, lowering his weapon after a moment. He turned a look on the chair embedded in the wall and, after a moment, moved to pull it free, brushing it clean and setting it back in place to sit in.

"I should not have touched you." The Arbiter rumbled as he sat down again, hands on now dented armrests. Sensing the man wanted to leave it behind, he turned to Ruby and asked, "What, my friend, did you mean to test here? Beyond the obvious."

"Mostly just… The obvious, I guess." Ruby murmured, looking at her rifle and grimacing, likely realizing how useless it would have been. "I'm sorry… I didn't know _that_ was how it would go."

"It's fine." He chuckled, paying his armored friend a sidelong glance, "It would not be the first time you have pointed a weapon at me."

"Mhm." He nodded, adding, "I apologized for that time, Thel."

"Indeed." He nodded, "And I forgave you that and forgive you this. Be at peace, my friend." The Spartan only nodded, but he saw his shoulders relax and knew that his words had been heard, and turned back to Ruby, "What did you wish to do after testing that, though?"

"I…" She swallowed, and seemed to understand that regardless of her opinions they were moving on, and said, "I figured that keeping the Relic up here, on your ship, would be the safest thing to do."

"No one on Remnant can get up here." Jaune nodded, "Maybe not even Salem."

"Asked Oz once about it, was curious." Qrow added from behind the duo, "According to him, no one ever used magic to get up here. Or at least, no one that said anything about it."

"They died or failed." The Spartan nodded understandingly, brushing aside the mentions of magic to get at the matter at hand, "So it should be safe. I'll authorize its storage in an armored containment unit aboard. It'll be safe."

"Thanks." She smiled, "So, that's one thing dealt with… What next?"

"Roland." The Spartan grunted, "Did you prepare a brief?"

"I did." The AI nodded, a little blue avatar of him showing up at the end of the table, his arms crossed. He did _not_ look best pleased, for whatever reason, but he went on quietly regardless, "The data-pads in front of you have the text format, all the information I have. It isn't much, unfortunately, but you can peruse at your own convenience."

"Um…" Ruby turned it in her hand, looking, he presumed, for a button while her uncle picked one of them up and went back to his spot leaning against the wall, "Ow do you…?"

"Tap the screens three times." Roland explained, the Remnant natives following his instructions as their translucent screens lit up in cool blues and whites. "Scroll wheel is on the side, or you can tap and hold once and flick. Words in purple will take you to detailed breakdowns of them, and you can swipe left to get back to the source page."

After a few minutes for them to adjust and get a handle on the data-pads, the Spartan prompted, "Roland, the brief."

"Right, well..." The AI gestured at the damaged wall and then sighed quietly, "I can only use the one wall. So, Mister Branwen will have to move."

Once the three Remnant natives had moved around to sit on the other side of the table, Ruby beside the Arbiter, the AI waved a hand. In response, the opposite screen lit up with a view of Sanghelios, taken from a distance.

"As of several days ago, the _Black Sun_ encountered an anomaly in proximity of Sanghelios, seen here. All information from the incident itself, and zero-point-three seconds before it, has been corrupted and lost." The AI explained, waiting a moment to see if anyone had anything to add or ask. When none did, the image changed to one of Remnant and the AI went on, "Upon arrival, we began searching for several things. Signs of either UNSC or Sangheili settlements and signals related to the Arbiter we could track among them. Eventually, we found a weak, isolated signal."

"Me." Thel guessed, thinking for a moment and then blinking, "Ah, my communication line. I had forgotten I had it, after the crash."

"Yeah, your comm line." Roland nodded, "We traced it to find you, and did. Even if it, you know… Went off-line before we got to you."

"Unfortunate but not unexpected." He shrugged, offering simply, "If you wish for details on the incident that brought me here, I have nothing to offer. I boarded a private transport to move down to Sanghelios' surface, and then awoke in the woods near where I encountered Ruby."

"We were on a mission to clear out Grimm." Ruby offered when the group turned to her expectantly, "Thel helped, so we brought him with us to Mistral. And from there, we… Well, everything that happened happened."

"And now we are here." Thel offered, "So, neither of us know the details of our arrival. But do we know _how_ we arrived?"

"In detail? No." Roland answered, grimacing, "In theory? Some sort of space-time anomaly over Sanghelios, or in Sangheili space, and here in Remnant's space. I'm searching for the origin point and, with luck, I'll find it. With _even more_ luck, I'll be able to figure out how it works, tag its coordinates, and find a way to safely traverse it."

"With luck?" Qrow grumbled, "Hah. Better get me _off_ this boat, then."

"Why?"

"Uh, my Uncle's Semblance causes bad luck." Ruby offered to the AI, "He can't control it, either. So…"

"Noted." The Spartan, finally, spoke. Turning to the Arbiter he prompted him, "You have your own decisions to discuss, and for us to plan, though."

"Indeed." He nodded, speaking to the AI as much as the Spartan. "As I said, I have sworn myself and, at the least, my Keep to the cause of this world. It was handcrafted by the hands of true gods and it is, I believe, a possible path to unity for my people. And peace for theirs, as well."

"That's why we were going to Atlas." Ruby offered, "To meet General Ironwood and work towards, you know, _that_."

"Atlas is the most militarily advanced of the Kingdoms." Thel explained quietly, though he could not be certain it was needed. Regardless, he went on, "And originally, we intended to have that military safeguard the Relic of Knowledge as well. But now a better option has shown itself…"

"Does that change plans, then?" Roland asked, "Or do you still want to go to Atlas?"

"Ironwood might not react well to alien ships showing up all over the place if we don't give him a warning." Jaune answered quietly, "The Arbiter's people would end up working with Hunters and the Atlesian military more often than not, so making friends early is probably a good idea."

"And Vale… Is _not_ in the best shape, right now." Ruby added, "Neither is Mistral. And Vacuo is… Vacuo."

"Mostly nomadic, with a few concentrated settlements scattered around." jaune explained, "In the huge desert on the largest continent. I'm sure you've seen it."

"I surveyed it already." Roland nodded, going on, "I detected a handful of major settlements but mostly, just empty space. They're probably not to be ignored, but by and large, Atlas is the biggest mark."

"My team also recommended Menagerie." The Demon added, "Making allies there would be a good jumping off point."

"That… Might be rough." Jaune murmured, explaining when they looked, "Atlas and the Faunus, who live on Menagerie, don't have the _best_ relationship. I'm not saying it's actually impossible, but…"

"It will be difficult." The Arbiter nodded, "But these are the Kingdoms where we have a proverbial foot in the door. And so, I believe it prudent to try them both."

"We'll break into two teams, then." The Chief said, "One will be dispatched to Menagerie. The other, to Atlas. The Faunus will need to be on the team to Menagerie."

"Yang, too." Ruby tossed in, explaining, "They're partners. And, um… They haven't been together for very long. We shouldn't separate them."

"And Weiss should _not_." Jaune added, scratching the back of his head awkwardly, "The Faunus and the Schnees don't get along, so sending _her_ might be… _Yikes_."

"Belladonna and Xiao Long, then." The Chief noted, "The Arbiter will be going to Atlas, I presume?"

"Yeah." Ruby nodded, shooting him a look for confirmation and smiling when he gave it. "Me, too. So Weiss can come with me, while those two head to Menagerie. Jaune?"

"Atlas for my team." He answered quietly, explaining to the three non-natives across the table from him. Or, in Roland's case, _in_ the table in front of him, "I wouldn't guess Humans are _super_ popular on Menagerie. You all have a reason, if you go, but us? Nah, and we do _not_ want Nora involved in diplomacy anyway."

"You'll need transport, a pilot to fly it and protection, for the Menagerie team." The Spartan noted quietly, adding after a few long seconds, "I can dispatch Blue Team with them. They can also negotiate on the UNSC's end."

"And on mine." The Arbiter added, "I trust your team as I do you, Demon."

"I'll head to Menagerie too." Qrow grunted, "I can do my parlor trick to convince 'em magic is real."

"Then it is decided." The Arbiter nodded, standing and summarising finally, searching for any disagreement, "The Spartan's kin will accompany Qrow, Yang and Blake to Menagerie, to meet with people there. The rest of us will head to Atlas, to meet General Ironwood, while Roland divines a way back to my homeworld."

"Or tries to, at least…"

Regardless, none of them disagreed and so their plans were set. And that meant that, at last, they could _all_ eat and get a few hours of rest. Which, needless to say after the day they'd had, was something that the Arbiter was _more_ than happy to have.

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

His heavy, semi-powered armored boots crunched through leaves and scattered, thin sheets of metal. The crash site was as it had been reported, sequestered away in a veritable No Man's Land of Grimm and thick, hard to traverse terrain. Most of it had also been destroyed, too, the front half of the alien craft crushed like tin and buried in the ground. They hadn't found any bodies or weapons, yet, and he found _that_ strange.

But their excavation equipment would see to that, soon enough.

At least, once the rain pounding on his heavy Atlesian armor stopped. It was hard to excavate in the rain…

"Lieutenant!" He turned as an Atlesian, dressed in far _lighter_ and far _whiter_ Atlesian armor came jogging up to him. He was smaller, too, and carried a simple Atlesian rifle across his chest that he used to point the way he had come, "Ursai, sir. About a dozen of them, the fireteam is setting up a kill-zone."

"Understood." He rumbled, turning and shrugging off his heavy backpack, flicking a switch to shift it from pack form to its heavy, massive chain-gun one, its engine already whirrting as he depressed its trigger testingly. To it, and under his breath, he murmured, "Nyugi, szerelmem. Még munkánk van."

"Lieutenant Adel?" The soldier asked, half-turned to lead him on, towards the fight.

He only nodded, lumbering along behind him in his super-heavy, semi-powered armor.

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**Zenith Tempest :**_

**There's a **_**lot**_ **to unpack with why that wouldn't work **_**but**_**, aside from 'I have ze plot planned' there's a lot of politics here. I won't be doing a full, planetwide Exodus, for **_**several**_ **reasons that would be spoilers. I **_**will**_ **cover in depth, eventually, why an Exodus can't occur. **

**But for now, I ask for faith.**

_**Smokey Panda :**_

**Glad you enjoyed it!**

_**Rook435 :**_

**Yeah. I'm trying to convey that they spent some time **_**in the shit**_ **together. So he listens to Thel's words and ideas, and trusts him well enough. His team might not, of course, but they trust **_**the Chief**_**, so if he trusts Thel then they will too.**

**And I wanted to communicate that all, along with the whole 'fish out of water' thing.**

_**Sansman :**_

**Glad you enjoyed it!**

_**Psihopatul :**_

**Glad you enjoyed it so much!**


	18. Atlas

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

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_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

"You're _sure_ about this, John?" Frederic asked him forty minutes later, standing across the work-table from him while the four Spartans picked apart, cleaned, and reassembled their weapons.

"Our primary mission directive is to protect him." The Master Chief answered simply, lifting the frame of his Assault Rifle and looking down its spine, checking its alignment. Satisfied, he set it down and began reassembling the grip onto the bottom. "If he won't stand down from this fight, then we will have to protect him through it."

"Protecting _him_ is the job, yeah." Kelly pointed out, one hand brushing her short hair out of her face while she worked, stooped over her personalized M45, _Oathsworn_. Giving him a quick glance she raised one thin brow, "Pretty sure getting involved in some ancient shadow war isn't exactly _conducive_ to his general health and well-being, though."

"Wars _do_ tend to be a little less than safe, yeah." Linda added distractedly from beside the woman, sitting on a special, reinforced stool and using her helmet to check and recheck the advanced, specialized scop system in her hand. "Hell of a pothole to step in, this kind of thing."

"The Arbiter has already stepped in it, though." Frederic grunted shortly, leaning against the wall beside the door. One hand drummed gently on the wall at his side while the other rested on his helmet, bracing it against his hip. "I wasn't talking about that, though."

"Ah." Kelly realized, "You don't like splitting the party either."

"Not really, no." Frederic shook his head, "So, are you sure, John? We _just_ managed to get back together again."

"It's a temporary measure." John said simply, sparing the man a glance and then an armored nod, "A _very_ temporary one, ideally. You make contact and set up a communications unit to the _Black Sun_. Roland and the Hunters can handle it from there, unless you think that your continued presence is necessary."

"And if it is?"

"We'll deal with that obstacle when we get further down the course." He answered simply, turning back to his work and adding quietly, "I've added compiling an information dossier for High-Com on Hunters to our list of secondary objectives. And the Faunus, too."

"That's why you want the comm set up, isn't it?" Kelly asked, giving him another of her appraising looks.

"I do." He nodded, "And I want to try and get it _without_ risking him being detected in their systems."

"Okay, you _do_ know I can hear everything on this ship, right?" Roland complained over the ship's intercom system, his avatar sparking to life on a pedestal in the corner by the door. Smirking thinly, he added, "These lot wouldn't stand a snowball's chance on the Sun of detecting me if I wanted to make intrusions, Master Chief. I may not be an infiltration specialist, but at their level of tech? Pah."

"It's a non-zero risk." John said simply, dismissing the AI's complaints wholly. "And unless it's _absolutely necessary_, it isn't a risk I am comfortable allowing."

"For now." Kelly added for him, smiling when he turned a flat, visored stare on her, "Glare all you want, John, you and I both know that _eventually_ you'll want him to prod where he isn't welcome."

"...Probably." He finally sighed and relented, electing to ignore Kelly's barely concealed and knowing chuckle. And Linda's amused, quiet one. "For now, we play it close to the vest.

"We'll get it done, Chief." Frederic assured him, pushing off the wall, "I'll load up the communications unit and some spare parts."

"Power supplies, too." Roland added, "The unit won't be compatible with domestic power supplies. We have a few solar units in storage that should do the job, along with a solar storage unit to keep it running over-night."

"I'll deal with it, then." Frederic nodded, "Ladies, whenever you're ready, I'll be in the bay waiting on you. And Chief?"

"Hm?"

"Maybe you try to _avoid_ the immortal witch and her literal army of nightmares?" Frederic laughed quietly, pulling his helmet on and pressing a hand to the door release. It opened with the typical, muted 'click' and he stepped through, hesitating in the threshold and shrugging one final time, "I feel like that's probably a good life choice, Chief."

"We don't exactly make many of those." John murmured with a small, hidden smile before he nodded, "I'll avoid here, with a little luck."

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

"We just got our team back together." Weiss complained to her team, standing at the foot of the waiting Pelican and rubbing her arm anxiously. Staring at the ground she frowned, "I _hate_ that we have to split up again, so soon… It's not fair."

"I know." Ruby smiled gently, pressing her side against her partner's and wrapping an arm around her. Weiss stiffened but, after a second, Ruby felt her lean into her and smiled just a _bit_ more warmly. Looking at the other duo standing in front of them Ruby said, "At least this time we're _planning_ the split up."

"And gettin' back together, too." Her uncle added from behind her, leaning against the hull of their transport. "You're splittin' up, sure, but you already _know_ that you're gonna be back together soon as can be. Focus on that bit, girls."

"Saving the world is also a pretty sweet part." Yang added stiffly, hand wrapped around the bicep of her right arm tightly, ignoring the ache there. Smirking, she gave Blake a smug little look, "Besides, the kitty cat wants me to meet her parents."

"Oh good _Grimm_, Yang…"

"Hey, not the first time I've had you swearing." Yang winked, "Guess I got a way with my mouth?"

"I _will_ beat you with your own arm, Yang." Blake threatened, hefting the inactive, limp prosthetic warningly. Yang laughed, shaking her head, and Blake smiled, her ears flicking energetically. Playfully, she added a quiet, "That's what I thought."

"I'm glad you two are getting along." Weiss chuckled, "I suppose you'll be on the beach, sunning yourselves and enjoying local cuisine, inside a few days."

"Hopefully." Yang smiled, bobbing her head at the improvised melee weapon that was her arm, cradled in Blake's arms now she wasn't using it for a threat. "My arm is water-proof, supposedly. And I _love_ swimming."

"I'll see if my parents won't mind us visiting the Shoal." Blake offered quietly, explaining when Yang raised an eyebrow, "It's a little settlement spread out in some marshes and on a sheltered beach, a little ways off from Kuo Kuana. It's… Mostly for aquatic and amphibious Faunus, but they don't mind visitors."

"Especially not from _Princess Blake_, right?"

"I am _not_ a princess, Ruby." The Faunus glowered at her, "Like, at _all_."

"She's right, Ruby." Weiss smiled, a hand settling on the small of her back. A little tell she and Weiss had made up, a long time ago, to warn Ruby to play along. "She's only the first and only daughter of the leader of a nation, whose title is traditionally passed down by a council electing the next Chief amongst the children of the passing Chief on his death."

"Yeah." Ruby smiled, "That doesn't sound like a princess at _all_."

"Oh my god, Blake, are you actually a princess?" Yang blinked, turning to the Faunus who stared at the ceiling as if searching for divine help. When Blake didn't say anything Yang blinked again, "Oh my god, you _are_!"

"I hate _literally_ all of you." Blake finally sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose and waving a hand at the three of them, "All of my hate. Every. Single. Ounce."

"I mean…" Yang smirked, raising her eyebrows, "I did _not_ get that impression, like, fifteen minutes ago."

"Oh my _stars_!" Weiss gasped, yanking away from Ruby and shaking her head, "You absolute… Ugh! You corrupt, salacious, libertine, licentious, _useless_ homosexual, you!"

"Hey." Yang pointed a finger at her, smiling, "I'm a useless _bi_sexual, first of all."

"Ugh!"

"And _second_ of all," Yang smirked, "I was just joking, princess. Take a _chill_ pill."

"Yeah." Blake smirked, "_Cool_ off, Weiss."

"Oh, are we doing Weiss- Ice- Snow-" Ruby groaned, shaking her head and smiling, "Are we doing puns now?"

"No!" Weiss immediately shouted, throwing her hands up in faux exasperation. She grinned, though, and flushed a bit, "We are _certainly_ not _pun_ishing anyone right now!"

"...Oh my god I think Weiss just made a pun." Yang blinked slowly, eyes wide as saucers as she turned to Blake, "I mean, it wasn't a _good one_, but…"

"Not really, no." Blake smiled, shaking her head, "But I say she gets an A for effort, even if she gets, like, a C for the joke."

"Oh, bite me, both of you." Yang turned to the Schnee, lips quirked in a smirk, but Weiss cut her off. " Do not _even_, you… Absolute pervert."

"Can I _odd_, then?"

"All of my hate!" Weiss shrieked, smiling playfully, "Every ounce of it! You just passed my father for top of the hit list, Xiao Long."

"_Xiao Long_ is that list?"

Weiss' response was cut off by the sound of heavy, armored feet approaching them. Ruby turned and blinked as the three Spartans strode by them silently, up the ramp and into the Pelican. Quickly, they stowed their weapons before the two women wordlessly slipped by the crates at the front of the transport and into the cockpit. After a moment, the engines flared to life, rumbling quietly and the large, heavily armored man nodded understandingly.

"Are we ready?" Frederic asked quietly as he turned to them, standing on the top of the ramp. "Launch time is now, so if we aren't, I need to know. Fuel is limited, and we can't waste it idling."

"We're ready." Ruby answered him, spreading her arms out to her team and smiling, "Quick team hug before you fly off to meet Blake's parents, Yang?"

"I _despise_ you…"

In spite of her words, Blake was the first to step into Ruby's arms, followed swiftly by Yang and Weiss. Ruby peeked over the shorter girl's head at her uncle, who waved her off. She raised her eyebrows challengingly, though, and he sighed quietly, shaking his head. Then she pouted and the man finally caved, pushing off the Pelican to wrap his arms around the little group of Huntresses.

It only lasted for a second but as far as Ruby was concerned, it was the best second of the day.

Okay, well, the _second_ best, but only because it was _really_ hard to beat looking at Remnant from space!

"As soon as we're done in Menagerie, we'll meet you in Atlas." Blake said as they parted, smiling widely as she looked between Weiss and Ruby and even Qrow, standing awkwardly behind them. "Atlas will suck for me, but…"

"We'll be together again soon enough." Weiss nodded understandably, nodding towards the waiting Spartan. "Go. Meet the parents, save the world. The usual team RWBY brand of nonsense."

The three boarded the craft and Weiss and Ruby were forced to give it space as the Pelican hovered up, into the air and then turned. Slowly at first, it meandered forward, towards a nearly translucent blue field at the end of the hangar. Then it shot forward, engines flaring to life as it rocketed out, spun, and then dipped down towards Remnant below them. In its wake, the hangar began to close, its heavy, armored door sealing the gap that had been protected by the odd shields.

It was _amazing_.

"You know, when I decided to become a Huntress, I knew I'd be helping people." Weiss sighed, arms crossed beside Ruby, watching the hangar seal itself. "I did _not_ think I would get involved in this kind of insanity, though. Or have so many people needing my help…"

"Neither did I." Ruby nodded, smiling sadly, "Does that… Make you regret your decision?"

"Of course not, don't be an idiot." Weiss waved her off, smiling warmly. "I wouldn't have gotten to meet any of you if I hadn't made that decision. And, apocalyptic secret war and world shattering alien discoveries included, I… I wouldn't trade knowing any of you for _anything_ else."

"Yeah." Ruby nodded, "Things are different from what I imagined, but… I promise, I'll stay here until the end."

"Whatever it might be." Weiss nodded, holding up a pinky and smiling, "Pinky swear."

"Pinky swear." Ruby nodded, smiling and wrapping Weiss' own, fragile pinky in her own. Bobbing it slightly she smiled and turned, "We should robably go find the others. Blake and Yang have their own job, and we have ours."

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

"I still think this is a _terrible_ idea." Jaune argued quietly for not the first time, leaning against the armored bulkhead beside the door with his team to either side of him. His arms were crossed and one leg bounced agitatedly, the blonde knight glaring at the metal floor. "You can't just _show up_ over Atlas."

"It will terrify people." Nora added, "And that'll bring the Grimm running."

"Right as Atlas turns to face us, and not _them_…"

"We can't spare the fuel to descend earlier, and lower, to approach from further away." Roland explained quietly, his hologram glowing faintly from his pedestal. Not turning to look at them and instead staring at the Spartan standing in front of him, watching the nav-console that showed their approach, he explained again, "The most efficient way is for us to descend from straight above, so that Miss Schnee can contact her sister and preempt an escalation."

"Assuming she answers with an alert on…"

"If we waste fuel and can't break orbit, we can't get back to Sanghelios." Thel murmured in quiet distaste, "If we can not return to Sanghelios, my people cannot aid yours. And I cannot aid _them_."

"That doesn't mean that she'll _answer her Scroll_." Weiss argued quietly, sitting in the unused captain's chair with one leg folded primly over the other and her hands in her lap, holding the powerless device tightly. "Assuming we get low enough to connect, _don't_ get shot down while my Scroll starts up and I make the call, _don't_ have Grimm swarming the city… What happens if she just doesn't answer my call?"

"Like Weiss said, there will be an alert on, so she'll be busy with that." Ruby added, sitting on the arm of Weiss' appropriated chair and running an old looking brush through her long ponytail gently and slowly. Weiss didn't seem to mind, which amused Thel to no end, and Ruby went on, "So, what do we _do_ if she doesn't answer?"

"We angle the nose of the ship down, towards the city itself." The Spartan explained quietly without looking away from the screen. To Ruby and Weiss he said, "Then I make the jump down, to make contact physically."

"I'm sorry, you make the _what_?" Jaune asked loudly, eyebrows shooting up as he pushed off the wall, surprised.

"That's… Hundreds of feet up, easily!" Ruby argued, eyeing the Spartan like he was mad. Which honestly, Thel could understand, given what the man was suggesting. She turned to him, then, and asked, "He's not serious, right? This is super army man lingo, or whatever the frick, for something else, right?"

"It is, in fact, not." Thel answered simply, "When he and I first joined arms, to face the Covenant, I found him in a crater. He had jumped from low orbit, and been rendered unconscious upon slamming into the _ground_."

"...Well, at least I'm used to the crazy by now." Weiss sighed, waving the matter off and shaking her head, "It's hardly any crazier than anything else we've had to deal with thus far, in any event. So if you say it will be fine, I suppose I won't argue."

"So you guys can fall from _space_?" Nora asked quietly, the Spartan turning to consider her for a moment before nodding simply. Nora blinked, then, and suddenly rounded on Ren, "Hey, Renny, can I-"

"No, Nora, you can't jump out of the space ship." Ren interrupted with a sigh, ignoring her pout until she blinked and grinned, opening her mouth to say something. "You also can't become a Spartan so that you can jump out of the space ship, Nora."

"You're no fun…"

"The Pelican is well away and I'm ready to descend on your order, Chief." Rolan said finally, smiling warmly at the young woman's very typically exuberant display. "I, uh, also took the liberty of prepping interception missiles and other defensive systems. You know, just in case they _do_ try and shoot at us."

"Prudent." Thel complimented the AI, turning a look on his old friend, "Shall we, then, Demon?"

The Spartan nodded simply, fingers curling and uncurling in the closest show of anxiety the warrior was capable of, to the Arbiter's mind. To Roland he said, simply, "Descend."

"I recommend everyone brace slightly." The AI murmured warningly as the navigation console lit up in a stark, yellow warning that read 'Re-Entry Engaged'. "The _Black Sun's_ balancing systems should compensate for anything dangerous, but you'll still get moderate tremors."

Ruby slid off the chair and knelt beside her partner, the Schnee gripping her shoulder with one hand and flicking the Scroll open with the other. Across the command room, Nora slid between Jaune and Ren, wrapping each in her arms and pressing her back against the wall securely, squatting slightly for purchase. Such extreme measures were unwarranted, of course, as the tremors wouldn't even be enough to shake them off their feet if they were _remotely_ steady on them.

But then, this was their first re-entry, so some nerves were to be expected, he supposed.

"Hitting atmosphere… Now." Roland warned, a split second before the ship began to tremble ever so slightly. The five Hunters stiffened, gritting teeth and staring at the floor anxiously, but otherwise didn't react. After a few seconds, the tremors worsened ever so slightly before they ceased entirely and the AI smiled, "We're in-atmosphere now, you can relax."

"That wasn't so bad…" Ruby murmured, standing sheepishly as the others relaxed and flicking an embarrassed look between the three more expert space-farers. "I, uh, suppose that was overkill?"

"A bit." The Arbiter rumbled his amusement, shaking his head wryly as he moved across the command deck to join his older comrade, looking at it idly. Watching the altimeter slowly trickle down he went on, quietly, "But any who would tell you they were not similarly afraid on their first re-entry would be a liar. I myself trembled in my boots as I ascended and _de_scended both, the first time."

"I guess…" Ruby nodded, brightening after a moment and adding, "But hey, at least Jaune didn't throw up."

"One time! I threw up on that shuttle _one time_!" He sighed, pushing off the wall and throwing his hands up in the air, "_One time_, and you have to live with it forever."

"I have power! My Scroll is on!" Weiss suddenly said, her Scroll flickering to life, a little white sigil blooming as it ran through its boot-up sequence. Looking up, suddenly, Weiss asked Roland, "What was our altitude when my Scroll kicked on, Roland? I presume you knew."

"I was, and it was approximately three hundred and eighty kilometers above Remnant's sea-level." Roland nodded, "Why?"

"My family are _the_ leading body in Dust usage and study." Weiss murmured as explanation, staring at the screen as it flickered to a quiet, off-silver screen and she began typing. After a moment the screen changed again and Weiss said, quietly, "I'm calling her right now."

"Good." Roland grunted, "Because Atlas has _definitely_ noticed us."

"Video feed?" The Demon asked.

"Yes I do."

"Put it on the main screen, Roland." The Master Chief ordered crisply, "I want to see what we're working with."

The AI nodded and, after a moment, the front of the bridge crackled as a wall of terminals flared to life.

Atlas was a floating, shining metropolis in the sky, floating above what looked in comparison like a malignant scar, belching smoke and sprawling out across the white tundra. Around it were swarms of glinting little things that, after a moment, Thel could discern as the little airships Cordovin had once offered to them, to ferry them to Atlas. As they had there, here they swarmed like insects around their hive, surging up and between the _Black Sun_ and Atlas.

Around them, dozens of warships drifted in loose formations, spinning and rising in an effort to do the same and put themselves between the ship and the Kingdom.

"I'm detecting missile systems attempting to lock on. ECMs are doing their work, but I have anti-missile systems spinning up and- Wait." Roland's avatar froze for a moment before the AI added in quiet shock, "Master Chief, we're… Being hailed on an encrypted channel with a UNSC ident code."

"A _UNSC _ident code?" The Spartan flinched, hands curling into tight fists at his side, the Spartan turning to the view-screen and then back to the AI. "Check the code against our system's records."

"I did, but I'm accessing ONI classified files in full right… Now..." Again, Roland's avatar seemed to freeze for a heartbeat, as if the electronic entity was too distracted to remember to move and emulate Human patterns like normal. Then he _flickered_ and, when he stabilized, he was looking at the Demon, "Sir, it's a _Spartan_ ident tag."

"A Spartan?" He rumbled in surprise, "How could that be?"

"But that should be impossible, right?" Jaune asked, crossing the smallish room in three long strides and to stand beside the Spartan and the AI avatar, gaze flicking between both. "How the hell could Atlas be broadcasting with a _Spartan_ code?"

"Are there… Spartans in Atlas?"

"No, Ruby, there aren't…" Weiss shook her head, rubbing her chin in a mix of thought and surprise. After a few scant moments, she went on, "I've never seen anyone like the Spartans in Atlas. And with my father's rather extensive connections, I have seen a _lot_ that I shouldn't have, around Schnee Manor. Nothing like them stands out, in the military or private sector."

"And aliens on Remnant wouldn't be something we'd _miss_." Ren added, gaze flicking to Nora. She shook her head and he added, "What's the code?"

"The code is…" Roland blinked, confused, "Chief Warrant Officer, J-S-052-N5. The hail is headed with it and broadcast on a standard UNSC grade encryption setting. I traced the source but the comm source is _not_ UNSC. The codes are all right, but… The source is foreign."

"Jorge…" The Demon murmured, sounding… Almost pained. Shaking his head he asked, quietly, "The code's valid?"

"Yes, Sir." Roland nodded, "It's an old code, Sir, but it checks out. Source aside."

"...Accept the hail but put it on hold." The Spartan instructed, sliding to a crisp and firm at ease stance and rattling off, "Arbiter, left side. Rose, Arc, right side. Valkyrie, Lie, behind your team leader. Schnee, behind yours."

"A show of unity, for the introduction." The Arbiter rumbled, following his old companion's instructions as the others moved to do the same. Standing beside the Demon, he reached up to straighten his helmet and then check his harness, glad to have worn the former now. "Ruby, I shall follow your word in this. Spartan, I suggest you do the same. These are her people, not either of ours."

"Understood." The Spartan nodded quietly, "Roland, open the channel."

"Aye."

The view-screens in front of them flickered, for a moment, before going dark. A split second passed and they flickered once again, flaring to life to show one side of a wide office, glass windows enclosed by heavy, armored panels. The man sitting was large and imposing, in a heavy looking and clearly military white coat. He was an older gentleman, too, his black hair and beard well-trimmed and kept, but striped and speckled by silver and gray.

He eyed the young Hunters first, surprisingly enough. Up and down, his gaze flicked from one to the next, silently appraising and examining them. Whatever he was searching for in them he either found, or gave up on. Then, instead of the Spartan, his gaze moved to the _Arbiter_.

And then _narrowed_.

But there was more there than caution and curiosity, what would be _expected_ of a military man meeting aliens for the first time. No, there was something more there. Something strangely, painfully _familiar_ in the way his eyes narrowed and the way his hand curled unconsciously on the desk in front of him. It balled into a fist before he let out a breath and relaxed it.

"I am General James Ironwood, of Atlas." He said quietly, "And I would like to know why a United Nations Space Command warship is doing _over my city_. Then I want to know why you have three of _my world's_ people aboard. And finally, why a Spartan is standing shoulder to shoulder with an _Elite_."

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

**So as usual, I'm either nowhere near as clever as I think I am, or you ladies, gents and assorted plantoids are too observant. For context, that was Hungarian at the end, and translates roughly to, 'Calm, my love. We still have work to do.'**

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**Firestarter :**_

**...Adel is a name that already exists in the RWBY universe. I would sooner delete my author's page than name something after Aka that wasn't just a straight up joke.**

_**CT7567 Rules :**_

**Yup!**

_**COBRS DARKNISS :**_

**Chief reacted as he did to being **_**touched**_**, not to the information being revealed. What Jinn said did off-balance him, of course, but being touched is what made him flinch the way he did. It is a testament to their friendship that he didn't **_**shoot him**_ **and that Thel instantly forgave it, imo.**

_**Combine 117 :**_

**No!**

**It doesn't!**

**:D**

_**Smokey Panda : **_

***innocent whistling noises***

_**C313st2001 :**_

**Ruby will not, in this story, become a Spartan, no.**

**I am not **_**opposed**_ **to other, different stories Spartan-izing RWBY characters, but this one has a theme of 'worlds colliding' so having them melt together would run counter to the themes, imo.**

_**Kpmh2001 :**_

**Fake.**

**Sure.**

**:D**

_**Razmire :**_

**Nora would cause multiple wars over the state of the Pancake economy, imo. XD**


	19. The Beginnings of Diplomacy

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

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_**Priests, **_**The Impossible Muffin**_**, **_**Xager the Chaos King.**

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_**If you want to be on the Supporter list, PM one of us for details or join our private server for details. Hope you enjoy reading my stories, please leave me a comment to let me know if you did, or where I can improve. Link here, where able to be seen : **__** /2UZncAm**_

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_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

"We're approaching the designated point in sub-orbit over Menagerie right now." Their pilot relayed over the armored transport's intercom less than an hour later, the tinny speaker's very nearly inaudible _crackle_ making her more sensitive ears ache. She ignore it, though, listening as the woman went on, "Upper-atmosphere cloud build-up looks like a storm, though."

"What's that mean?" Yang murmured quietly, one hand gripping her bicep while she grit her teeth. "_Please_ tell me you aren't saying we can't go down…"

"She isn't." Kelly grunted, sitting by the door and running a rag gently over her shotgun. She didn't even bother turning to look at them as she explained, "Upper-atmo cloud build-up means moisture, heavy winds and ionization. Lightning, too, if your luck is _particularly_ bad."

"Good thing we left your uncle behind…"

"Yeah, if he was here we'd end up getting the full lightning rod treatment." The blonde chuckled, shaking her head and slowly massaging her bicep.

"Pelicans are rated for atmospheric reentry and exit." Kelly went on simply, "Turbulence will be more intense, though. And the air-pressure regulation might fail, with the rapid pressure differentials going through the cloud layers."

"Oh." Lavender eyes turned to her and Yang frowned, worried, "Blake, will you…"

"I'll be okay. It'll hurt a bit, my ears will probably pop and ring, but…" She shrugged and forced a resigned kind of smile, ears flicking anxious as she looked between the other two women, "Just part of being a Faunus like me and flying. You… You just get used to it."

"You should have informed us." Kelly sighed, sliding her shotgun off her lap and, without looking, locking it into a holster beside her. "UNSC Air-Space Force flight helmets have their own atmo-regulator, if you put on the full harness. We could have gotten you one of those to wear, as we transitioned."

"I…" Blake sighed and shrugged, "I didn't really think about it, before we left. I was more worried about…"

"Me." Yang growled angrily, scowling at her, "I don't need you to baby me, Blake. We've been over this-"

"I'm not!" Blake rushed to argue as the Pelican began to tremor gently. Re-entry proper, she supposed, ignoring it in favor of laying a hand on Yang's knee and reassuring her, "I was just- Just distracted. Between you and your arm, and how much pain you were in, and taking all of… _This_ to my parents, I just…"

"Tunnel vision." The Spartan across from them filled them in, nodding and offering a curt wave, folding her arms in the same motion, and adding, "Yep. Still here."

"Y-Yeah…" They'd gotten so caught up with the burgeoning argument that, somehow, they'd forgotten the _massive_ woman was right there, watching them. Pushing on, Blake said, "I just got tunnel vision and- Ah!"

The pain came on suddenly and sharply, her feline ears flattening against her head as her fingers dug into her scalp and she doubled over, head between her knees. She felt hands on her, two armored and one not, but she couldn't hear what was being said to her. As sharp as the pain was, and good _Grimm_ it was, it faded quickly, the ringing going with it as the air pressure inside the cabin stabilised.

As it faded, she heard Kelly's voice trail in, "-in a second. Just keep her steady until it does. Her balance will be shot."

"Got it." Yang said from her seat beside her, good arm slung over her back to hold her to keep her steady.

"You good now, Belladonna?" The Spartan's visor was in her face, the wide, bronze front reflecting a distorted face back at her as she looked to it. She nodded and sat up, the Spartan rising with her, large, armored hands on her shoulders easing her back against her seat, "We're through the storm now, so you should be fine."

"Yeah." And that meant they were descending, so, "Yang, how's your arm?"

"It… Doesn't hurt anymore!" The blonde smiled, reaching up to pull her prosthetic off the rack above her. Smiling, she pressed it onto the bracketed connector and twisted it, latching it on and activating the limb. Its fingers spasmed as it came online, but after a second it curled into a fist and Yang smiled, "_Brothers_, that is so much better, holy shit…"

"Any problems with it?" The Spartan asked quietly as she stood and stepped back, easing into her seat.

"Nah." Yang shook her head, working the fingers of the hand into and out of a fist, and then alternating holding some fingers out and curling others in. Testing it, she said, "I mean, it's a bit sluggish, yeah. But I'm pretty sure that's normal. It took a few minutes to get running right when I first put it on, too."

"Good." The Spartan nodded, "Because Frederic needs your partner in the cockpit, to show us a good place to land."

Menagerie didn't have an air-dock big enough for the Pelican, Blake knew, and even if it had they had no way of getting in touch with the air controllers there to get a spot. And since Blake did _not_ want to land the heavy transport _on_ something, she directed them to the wide beach, near the fisheries and jetties. The craft came down gently, the nose just barely in the water, as Menagerie's guards formed a loose, unsure perimeter.

"Don't." Blake said quietly when Kelly reached for the button that lowered the ramp, the other two Spartans behind her and Yang. "Not until you see my parents. Do you, uh, know what they look like?"

"Roland pulled pictures from the local network as soon as he managed a stable connection." Frederic said in answer, "World leaders, influential businessmen, known radicals, the like. Your parents included."

"As…?"

"As profiles forward to us." Frederic answered evasively, pointing a finger at the armored hull to their right. Where seats and racks were. "Hull cameras show a large man matching your father's general appearance speaking to well-decorated local guards over there."

"Then he's here." And as ever, going to see her parents brought a wave of… Anxiety and fear. Emotions she was sure she'd probably never _really_ get over. She felt a cold hand in hers, fingers lacing through her own, and turned to her partner, "Thanks."

"No prob." She smiled, shooting her a wink, "Maybe put in a good word with your folks for me, though, hm?"

"I will." She smiled, turning to the waiting Spartan and nodding. "Let's do this, then."

With a single button push, the ramp began to lower, and Menagerie's tropical heat blasted in on them. With it came the smells of the sea-side, salt on the breeze and the smell of the fish on the docks. She closed her eyes and took a deeper breath and caught the scent and taste, just barely, of fruits and flowers on her tongue.

It was an old habit of hers, to just take in all of the smells and let it center herself. But no one, even the Spartans, rushed her down the ramp until she was ready.

"Do _not_ let go of my hand, Yang." Blake asked quietly as they descended the ramp, the heavy boots of the Spartans thunking heavily behind them as they went. "I'm about to introduce my parents to magic and aliens, and I need the support."

"Whatever you need." The woman answered, cool metal fingers squeezing her hand reassuringly. "I'm right here, Blakey."

And somehow, that was all she found she needed to smile.

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

"You know of my people?" The question was a foolish one, the militant man had a Spartan identification code for honor's sake, but it spilled from his mouth regardless.

"Your people, and what they've _done_ to mine, yes." The General ground out, eyes narrow and hard as he met Thel's own, wider ones. Slowly, he turned his look on the Spartan again and reiterated, "Why would a Spartan be standing shoulder to shoulder with An Elite? That armor looks ornate, too. I know ornate armor indicates a high rank, so he should be at the _top_ of your hit list."

"He would be, Sir, if the war was ongoing." The Spartan answered after a moment, sliding into an ease stance, "The Arbiter and the Sangheili assisted the UNSC in ending the war a few years ago, General."

"The Heirarchs of the Covenant betrayed my people, ordered them massacred to the last." Thel addendum drawing the man's narrow gaze back to him. Pursing his mandibles he went on, bowing his head slightly, "In the Great Schism which followed, the stark truth of the Heirarch's deceptions was laid bare."

"In response," the Demon added, "the Elites rallied to defend two worlds. Sanghelios, their homeworld, and Earth."

"With your permissions, Master Chief, I can put together an information packet detailing the events of the Battle of Earth." Roland offered quietly, "The connection is stable enough for a small briefing packet, at least."

"Time estimate?"

"Three seconds to compile, forty-two to upload, on this connection."

"Hm." The Spartan nodded, permitting the AI to compile the files, and asked, "General?"

The man hummed in thought, the fingers of one hand drumming out a heavy beat on the desk he was sitting at. Finally, the man sighed, "What I know of you is a _heavily_ classified matter, one classified to only the Council. Strictly speaking, I _don't_ know you, so I can't order my fleet to stand down while I peruse some packet of information you can't prove. I've just authorized warning shots across your ship's top."

"Roland?"

"I'm detecting missile locks- Launches, actually." The AI answered quickly, "Calculating trajectories… Minimum of ten meters over the top of our hull, right along the spine of the ship. AMS is online, Sir."

"Intercept the missiles." The Master Chief ordered, hesitating a moment before adding, "And prime our own missiles as well."

"Spartan..."

"I won't allow you to fire on my ship for _politics_, General." The Spartan grunted simply, cutting the other man off before he could argue. "Roland, target four of the Atlesian vessels. Aim for crippling shots, I don't want to destroy them outright if we-"

"Nope, nope, _nope_!" And suddenly, there was Ruby, flitting around past the Spartan and pointing a long, thin finger up and into his face. The Spartan physically recoiled, uncurling from his ease position slightly, one hand hovering instinctively close to his sidearm, "_You_ are escalating, Mister! Pointing guns at each other is _not_ a good way of making friends!"

"But he-"

"Ah bup bup _bup_!" She cut the Spartan off, lips pursed and eyes glaring as best as she could, "It takes two to tango, and just because Ironwood is being _totally_ ridiculous, that doesn't mean you need to point a gun _back_ at him! Or, well, a _lot_ of guns. Which are missiles, not guns, but- You get the point!"

"Do not look to me for aid in this, Demon." Thel rumbled when the Spartan turned a look on him. Folding his arms, he flicked his gaze to the General, "I was about to step in myself, to end this nonsense and push us to proper contact."

"...Roland, has the AMS dealt with the missile launches?"

"Just about to, Sir." Roland murmured before his avatar blinked and he nodded, "Missiles popped, Chief. And, uh, if I get a vote, here, then I _strongly_ suggest setting aside the whole 'Elite onboard' thing until the General reads the packet. Which I just sent him."

"Seconded!" Nora added brightly, leaning out from behind her frowning team leader. Her smile vanished, though, as she pointed at the General, "I think _you_ need to remember what happened the last time you didn't trust us, Mister General."

"Yeah." Ruby nodded, turning to him and folding her small arms over her equally small chets, "_Last_ time you didn't trust us, you made my sister a, uh- Weiss?"

"Pariah." The Schnee sighed, "He made her a _pariah_."

"Yeah, that." Ruby nodded, "And _that_ ended up with Beacon falling. So maybe this time you should just… Trust me. My team."

"I have my own teams to trust, Miss Rose." Ironwood pointed out, folding his hands on the table in front of him. Turning a look on the Spartan standing behind her he added, frowning deeply, "My _contact_ is among the reasons I doubt your claim. State your name and rank, Please."

"Reason?"

"I have my own files." The General answered evasively, "For now, in the _interests of cooperation_, I'm going to ask you to trust me."

"Master Chief Petty Officer J-S-0117-B1." The Demon answered simply, "Now, stand your fleet down."

"Level your vessel out and turn it around, engines towards us." The General grunted shortly, "You do that, and I can send out a yellow alert stand-to order, and assert that you have made contact. _For now_," he added levelly, meeting Ruby's frowning face, "I'll let the _Elite's_ presence go. So long as he disarms when you come onto Atlesian or Mantle grounds."

"I will submit." He nodded, subtly flicking a meaningful gaze to the Spartan as he did and then meeting the General's gaze as he straightened. "Aside from my blade. I will retain some basic means of self-defense, if you do not mind over much. Monsters traipse your surface mostly freely, so you will _understand_ my desire."

"...Fine." He nodded, "I'm presuming you're referring to an Energy Sword?"

"Indeed I do, General." He nodded, plucking the weapon from his thigh and igniting it. The warm orange lit the room around them pleasantly and, of worth here as his overtures had been with Cordovin, drew the General's more militant eye. "The Prophet's Bane. The very blade which ended the Prophet who ordered the war with the UNSC, and the slaughter of so many innocents."

"An impressive weapon." The man nodded, gaze flicking from the orange edge to Thel's eyes, "And an equally impressive story. So long as it's _true_."

"My word is all I have to show that it is." The Arbiter shrugged, letting the light of the Bane finally die and replacing the sword on his hip. "Alas, but I do not think you will _accept_ my word. Honorable and trusted though it is in the ears of a UNSC commander, I get the impression that your information is somewhat out of date."

"In fairness, it _is_ a couple decades old." The general nodded and then sighed, shaking his head tiredly, "We can cover the matter in detail, but my _contact_ didn't say anything about a 'Battle of Earth'."

"For now," Ruby pressed, "we need a ride down, to Atlas. We, uh, don't have a shuttle up here."

"I can make room behind the fleet, at a battleship dock, for your craft. It's a _bit_ big, but…" Ironwood shrugged, "It should work well enough. We keep out battleship docks with plenty of space around them, for maintenance vessels to do their work."

"The _Black Sun_ has interests it can't pursue in-atmosphere." The Chief grunted, shaking his head tightly, "Once we disembark, it will return to orbit."

"We need it to find our way home, if it is able." The Arbiter explained simply, when the Spartan did not. Gesturing at the ship around him he went on, "This is _certainly_ not a warship of my people, I'm sure you have noticed. Suffice to say for now that we did not come here by choice."

"And my job is finding a way _back_." Roland added, asking, "Chief, do you want me to forward the briefing packet from earlier to the General, too?"

"Do it." The Spartan nodded, reiterating, "We need a shuttle, General. Can you provide us with one?"

"I'll have one of my people on their way to rendezvous with you inside twenty minutes." The man nodded, "Whoever is your navigator, I will be forwarding coordinates in half that. Head there, a shuttle will be ready to meet you."

"Understood." The Demon nodded, "Until then, General."

The man nodded and reached forward, ending the video call from his end. Roland switched the viewscreans off inside the same moment, brightening the lights of the room to replace what had been lost in the absence of the General's own lighting.

"Well, aside from the missiles getting shot at us, I'd say that went… Alright." Jaune sighed, shaking his head and turning to leave, "Just once, I'd like to _not_ have to deal with all the dick measuring when we meet new people. Just once!"

The Spartan and Ruby watched him leave, and his team with them, before the Arbiter murmured, "I suppose we ought to head to the Pelican Bay, and wait for our shuttle."

"Yeah." The Demon nodded, paying Ruby an appraising look and then moving to follow the others, "Roland, handle the details."

"Aye, Sir." The AI nodded, giving Ruby a smile and a wink as the lot of them moved to follow and then adding, more quietly, "Pretty badass, snapping on a Spartan like that, Little Red."

"R-Really?" The Huntress squeaked, cheeks flushing just a bit, while she fidgeted with her fingers, "I-I was just, you know, trying to fix the argument. N-Nothin' super special, or anything like that."

"I thought it was pretty special." The AI smiled, bobbing his avatar's head towards the door, "Get going, now, but you keep that fire lit, Ruby. If you do, you're gonna go far, kid."

Blushing, the red reaper nodded and flashed ahead, leaving the lot of them behind along with a flurry of red petals. The Schnee among them sighed, shook her head, hiked her skirt, and took off to follow while Thel laughed.

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

As soon as he saw her, Yang saw Blake's father's face split in a wide, happy smile. "Blake!"

"And here he comes…" Yang heard her partner sigh, just as her father broke away from the cadre of guards and came jogging towards them, grinning all the while. He crossed the thirty or so feet of open, empty sand in long, eager strides. As he closed on them, Blake sighed, "Dad, please, don't freak out about me- Eep!"

"Blake! You're home, and so early!" Her partner's father crowed brightly, his great arms swallowing her as he hoisted her high in what would have been a _bone crushing_ hug if not for her Aura.

As it was, it looked like it was only a _bruising_ hug.

"I a-am!" She grunted, her arms pinned to her side making it just a _bit_ harder for Yang to keep her grip on her hand. Harder, but not impossible, even if Yang had to scoot side-to-side to keep a comfortable grip as her father rocked her back and forth. "R-Ribs breaking! Lungs…. Collapsing!"

"That's pretty weird, Blakey." Yang snarked beside her, still stubbornly holding her hand while the Spartans watched on silently. "Your Aura is still up, so he should be able to hug you _even tighter_ than this."

"What?" Blake blinked, "N-No, I-"

"You're _right_!" The man laughed, squeezing her _even tighter_ and, _more_ than conscious of the onlookers, shouting, "Ahhh, I missed you, Blake!"

"I saw you less than a month ago, Daddy!" Blake protested, wriggling and flailing in a desperate attempt to escape the great man's equally great _grip_. "C'mon, Dad! Let me… Down!"

"Ahhh, fine, if that's what you _really _want." The Chieftain laughed, letting her drop unceremoniously and laughing as she tried not to lose her footing in the loose sand.

Laughing, Yang yanked the Faunus straight, before she could fall, and joked, "I thought cats always landed on their feet?"

Only _just_ after the words left her mouth did she remember where they were and clamp her mouth shut. Mouth pinched shut and eyes squinting like she was smelling onions, she did the only reasonable thing. And _froze up entirely_.

"Yang!" Blake laughed, yanking her hand free to flick her nose playfully, cocking a hip and shaking her head tiredly. Sweet, bright little laugh betrayed her chiding tone, though, as she went on, "I _told_ you not to say things like that, _Tides_! What is _wrong_ with you, honestly?"

"I-I dunno." She laughed, _more_ than aware of the Faunus eyes on her, and the awkward laughter echoing from the curious, concerned crowd. Laughing, she waved her prosthetic in front of her and tried, "I, uh, guess I lost some brain-cells with this arm!"

"Oh Tides, _why_…" Blake sighed, palming her face and asking, quietly, "Dad, I brought people to meet you. It's important, and we have a _lot_ to go over, so can we… Head to the house?"

"Of course." Ghira nodded, eyeing the Spartans and turning to call out, "They're friends of my daughter's! Get along, I know you all have better things to do than gawk at an airship with a broken comm-link!"

"Thanks…"

"Of course, Blake." Ghira grunted, waving a couple of guards over and grunting to the larger trio, "My men will keep watch on your, er… _Ship_. No one will lay a finger on it that you don't want to."

"Acknowledged." Frederic grunted, the ramp rising seemingly of its own accord. "Thank you, for your hospitality."

"Any friend of Blake's." The large man grunted, smiling and tucking his thumbs into the belt of his trousers. Nodding back the way he'd come from he asked, "Shall we, then?"

"Of course." The Spartan nodded, looking between the large Faunus and his daughter slowly. "Lead the way."

While Blake's father led them through Menagerie's tight, cluttered and crowded streets and avenues, the Spartans stuck close to him. Their heads were eternal swivels, surveying the terrain and the people both, it looked like. It was like they were protecting him, in spite of the armed guards that led the way ahead of even Blake's dad himself. Their weapons stayed stowed, of course.

But somehow, that didn't make Yang feel _less_ like they could, and _would_, rip someone's head off if they felt a need.

"Hey." Yang turned to her partner, walking beside her with her fingers wrapped tightly around her hand. "You okay?"

"Yep!" Yang laughed, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"People aren't exactly being very _friendly_ to you…"

"Yeah, noticed that." Yang had seen _more_ than a few glares and fearful stares from those they were passing by, as she took in the sights of what she was pretty sure no Human had ever seen. Still, though, "S'not like they don't have good reasons."

"But, Yang…"

"I don't mind." She smiled, squeezing her partner's hand reassuringly. "I don't like it, but… Hey, do me a favor?"

"Anything." Blake assured her seriously, eyes hard like amber shards. "Just name it."

And boy oh _boy_ was _that_ a good look on Blake's face…

"Keep holding my hand, okay?" She smiled, holding up their joined hands and watching the blush play across Blake's face. "I can handle all the angry stares in the world as long as you keep holding my hand. 'Kay?"

"Yeah." She smiled, "I'll do that."

"Thanks, Blakey." Yang smiled, putting on as bright a smile as she could. Blake returned it and Yang felt that… Odd kind of calm that Blake could put on her, sometimes, when she relaxed just right. Seeing a chance, though, she leaned close suddenly, the Faunus stiffening as she whispered straight into a flicking ear. "But Kitty Cat, you should know that promising to do _anything_ for someone is _dangerous_~!"

"I-I-I-" The Faunus stammered, earning a bright laugh from Yang as she stepped away, tugging both their arms out straight and smiling widely. The smile proved infectious, as one spread across Blake's red face, and Yang laughed, "Just teasing you, _Princess Belladonna!"_

"I am _not_ a princess, Yang!"

"Technically, you're the heir to the Chieftainship." Ghira called over his shoulder, having apparently been listening the whole time. Smiling widely as Yang yanked her partner in and threw her arm over her shoulders, "So, _technically_, calling you the Princess of Menagerie isn't exactly wrong. As long as the council of peers doesn't vote No Confidence when I retire and hand you the crown."

"_Grimm Tides_, I hate you both…" In spite of her words, Blake's hand went up, grabbing onto Yang's and letting both rest on her shoulder. Smiling still, she growled in faux-anger, "All of my hate!"

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

**To all the theorists in my Reviews, I love ya. You were **_**so close**_ **to being on the money!**

_**Proper**_ **details on the Spartan ident-code will be gone over in the next chapter. For now, though, Ironwood isn't a Spartan. I won't explain anything beyond that.**

**Also, a mostly easy going, bright and happy chapter. Yay!**

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**Simple Christian :**_

**So…. **_**That**_ **was a review. I'll answer what points and questions I can, without padding the word count. Hope you understand abbreviating my response. XD**

**So there's a handful of reasons Yang's, er, **_**actions**_ **in the Fall aren't brought up much. First is the Fall itself, which kind of over-rode Yang's supposed accident. Second was that Cinder is known to have been involved, and her team is actively Wanted at least in Mistral which is the region this occurs in. So why would people still put Yang down for what seems a ploy by Cinder? Cordovin only mentioned it to be a cunt, here.**

**As for Cordovin, even awful racists **_**can**_ **do their jobs.. Even if maybe **_**governing**_ **ought not be one of them. They can even be heroic! So long as we remember who they really were.**

**I used 'Sun' as a generic name. There is zero importance to that name, I promise.**

**Hope you keep enjoying the fic! There's a Supporters list if you like it a **_**lot**_**~ XD**

_**Sleeping Moon :**_

**I post this on AO3 and Webnovel, but do not know of the other sites you mention. Aside from QQ which, currently, I have no intention on posting this on.**

_**Brother Bov :**_

**It isn't, but that is a **_**great**_ **story in and of itself.**

_**Steelrain66 :**_

**I don't intend for the Spirit to appear in this fic. I have separate ideas for them in an unrelated story, and don't want to risk mixing it up.**

_**Green the Ryno :**_

**I will (hopefully) be able to explain Irondaddy's reasoning on that front!**


	20. A Ride Down

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**Official Supporters: **_

_**Adeptus, **_**Private Wilger**

_**Commissioner, **_**Gib**

_**Settled Reader, **_**Xager the Chaos King**_****_

_**If you want to be on the Supporter list, PM me for details or join our private server for details. Hope you enjoy reading my stories, please leave me a comment to let me know if you did, or where I can improve. Link here, where able to be seen : **__** /2UZncAm**_

_**Second link here, remove ( and ) and it SHOULD work : D(i) (slash)kfhkfUb**_

_**I have a kofi account now, too, under this name for those interested.**_

_**Beta(s) : **_

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

**Supporters not currently on the list-**

**Please DM me, or check yours, for information. I was kicked out of my home by my roommates and out of the Walkers, and so I have a new page. The list is being updated as people move over.**

**For everyone else-**

**I was stabbed in the back and kicked out, from the Walkers and my home, over the weekend. Working on fixing it.**

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

"Gods, you're _actually_ a princess…" Yang murmured as they crested the last hill before the settlement dipped down into a sort of crater, ringed by low, green-topped mountains. In the center, built into a _bit_ of a square, was a big building, the front half covered in tarps, covers and scaffolds that did little to hide how large it was. "_That_ is where you live?"

"Technically, no…" Blake sighed, rolling her eyes while her father rumbled a laugh. Her ears pressing flat to her head, Blake pulled away from her and said, "But I grew up there, at least until my early teens, when I joined the White Fang. And… And _Adam_."

"Blake…" She took a step but Ghira's hand on her shoulder stopped her before she could reach her partner and pull her into a hug. She gave him a look and he smiled, shaking his head gently to tell her not to do anything. Frowning, she eased back, asking quietly, "Are you okay, Blakey?"

"Not really." She sighed, turning and giving her a little smile, backlit a bit by the sun on her head. "But I will be. And for right now… That's all I need to get by and do what I have to for my friends."

"Blake…" Before Ghira could stop her, or she could think about it, she rocketed forward, strong arms closing around the squeaking Faunus and hoisting her in the air in a tight hug. "Ohhh, Blakey! When you sound like a badass I just wanna give you a big ole' hug, you know that?"

"Ribs… Fracturing!" Blake whined, kicking weakly at her thighs. "Aura… Failing!"

"Oooooh, you're _fine_!" Yang laughed, setting her Faunus partner down in spite of herself and turning to the Spartans. They were confused, she was sure, but stood stock still regardless. She shrugged and offered a weak, "Adam is, uh…"

"He destroyed Beacon." Blake offered the waiting Spartans simply, brushing a hand over her scarred stomach. "And stabbed me. And… Took Yang's arm from her."

"All in one night, too. The bastard is lucky I haven't gotten hands on him..." Ghira said in an angry, low rumble that made the hairs on the back of Yang's neck stand on edge. He sighed, though, and the sudden onset of anger washed away with a small smile and a huff. "Sorry, but I can be a bit _paternal_ sometimes."

"Tides, Daddy…" Blake sighed, flushing embarrassedly but shuffling forward to give the big man a hug that she vanished inside of. Pulling away from him after a second she smiled and said, "I'm fine, Dad. We ran him off at Haven, so…"

"I know, dear." The big man sighed, patting the back of her head gingerly, avoiding her flicking ears. Smiling he said, to the four of them as much as to her, "I just get so angry, sometimes, when I remember what he's done. To you, to your partner, to the White Fang once we left…"

"We're fixing it as best we can, now, Dad." Blake said, stepping away, one hand seeking out Yang's automated one instinctively. Smiling awkwardly, she added, "I, uh, think we should get going though. The street isn't the… _Best_ place for this."

"I suppose…"

"Wait, I thought a street was the _best_ place for deep, moving moments?" Yang blinked owlishly, smiling at her own joke and going on when Blake shook her head tiredly. "You're telling me my favorite saturday morning cartoons lied to me?! How dare!"

"They're _cartoons_, Yang... They're _supposed_ to be unrealistic." Yang only put on a confused face and Blake sighed as she turned to move on, her father chuckling and trailing behind her while she went on, murmuring under her breath, "I'm going to kill her. We've been here half an hour, and I am already going to kill her."

"Ex_cuse_ you!" Yang called, chasing after her while the Spartans trailed along behind silently, "We've been here _forty_ minutes, not half an hour."

"I'm going to _kill her_, Daddy."

"She's not that tall." The man rumbled good naturedly, "I'm sure she'll fit if we bury her out in the gardens."

"Hey now!" She laughed, wrapping an arm around Blake's shoulders and grinning ear to ear. "Just because I'm hilarious doesn't mean you need to _pun_ish me!"

"Oh no…"

"C'mon, Blakey, I'm sure you can _Yang_ in there just fine." Blake's eyes narrowed on her and she smiled, sticking an arm out and asking, "Need something to _Yang_ on right now?"

"Yang, please." The Faunus sighed, lips pressed into a thin little line that told Yang she was fighting _very hard_ not to smile. "For the sake of literally every ounce of my barely remaining sanity, no. Don't. Stop."

"Don't stop, eh?"

"Oh for fuck-"

"_Language_, Blake." Her father rumbled, laying a massive hand on her back as they neared the burnt out, covered front of the house. "Just because you've been away on adventures for a while doesn't mean you can act the wild child now that your'e _black_ home."

"No, no, no- It _can't_ be!" Blake ranted, fisting her hair like she'd just gotten _the_ worst kind of news imaginable and didn't know how to process it. "These stupid, silly, _annoying_ puns _can't_ be contagious! They can't!"

"Hey, they aren't _that_ bad!" Yang laughed, waving her automated prosthetic about in the air, "I'll remind you I paid an _arm_ for the skills to make jokes this good!"

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

"This is ridiculous." Kelly murmured, using their internal comms to speak to her team while they were led around the large manor and the two women… Did whatever _this_ was. "We're here for an important diplomatic meeting, and they're making puns at each other."

"They're civilians."

"I thought they were _warriors_." Linda countered, "That's what the Arbiter called them, at least."

"Warriors." Frederic reiterated the term purposefully, "Marines are warriors, too. ODSTs are as well, and so are pilots and naval servicemembers. Just because they don't act like Spartans doesn't make them any less warriors."

"If you say so…"

"The Arbiter seems to respect them, at least." Kelly offered quietly, watching a trio of the same lightly armed and armored guards pass them by, on their way to a patrol or a posting but ignoring them either way. "And at least they aren't wearing _plated armor_."

"Maybe not normally." Linda said, "Arc does, though."

"Yeah, you're right." Frederic grunted, chuckling just under his breath and sighing. "Well, at least _no one else_ does. Or it's not the norm. Whatever the case, the Arbiter respects them and I don't feel like that's something that's just _handed out_."

"No, it isn't." Frederic grunted as they entered a garden, fenced in on all sides and with a heavy iron gate, flanked by two guards, for entrance. Chieftain Belladonna spoke to them quickly and one nodded, holding the gate open for all of them.

"I thought we could talk out here." Ghira said as they reached the center of the wide, empty garden.

In the center of the garden was a long, metal table, set inside of a sort of ovular pagoda. Around it were rows of neatly organized vegetable fields, separated by thin lines of bright, tropical flowers. A quick once-over showed all kinds of produce, from potatoes to tomates, arranged neatly by what had to be a practiced hand.

Given the apparent wealth of the Chieftain, he assumed it was a gardener.

"It's kind of… _Open_, isn't it?" Frederic asked as the Chieftain sat at the head of the long, metal table and a serving maid appeared, a tray of drinks in her hands. While she set them out, Frederic explained to the man, "What we need to talk about is a very delicate, _classified_ matter of national importance. Isn't this too exposed for that?"

"Maybe, but my office is full of construction workers." Ghira said simply, waving a hand to get the lightly dressed maid's attention. "Bring us food and order the guards _well_ out of ear shot. Don't return after unless you're called on. Understood?"

"Yes, Chieftain." The woman nodded, shuffling off quickly.

"The house's guards wouldn't talk anyway. They're all loyal to my father, hand-picked to serve here instead of out in the city." Blake said quietly, sitting to one side of her father with the blonde brawler across from her. "But without the office, this is the most private place for this. Or, well, the most private that also has the _space_."

"She's right." Ghira sighed, waving a hand at the house they were sat beside, "Sadly, we were attacked recently, so everywhere else that _could_ have been appropriate is either burnt out, or flooded with construction crews."

"Is everything alright?"

"It's been dealt with by my forces, and my daughter with them. Don't worry." The Faunus grunted simply with a small smile, gesturing at one of the thick, iron garden chairs and asking, "Please, sit. We need to talk, after all. And it sounds important enough that we probably need to get to it."

"Very well." If they couldn't get somewhere more secure, then they'd just have to deal with it. Turning his head he grunted, "Linda, Kelly, sentry duty. Keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary."

"That's hardly necessary…"

"You'll change your mind in a few minutes, Chieftain." He assured the great man, standing at the far end of the table and reaching up to undo his helmet, a common move to sow trust in diplomacy, according to Roland. Setting it on the table he turned a cool look on the other Faunus at the table and grunted, "I think your daughter would be better to start the story, though."

"Oh?" The Chieftain looked surprised, turning to the woman as the maid returned to drop off a couple large trays of food and then left without a word. In her wake, he asked, "Well, what other kind of nonsense have you managed to get up to in… Two and a half weeks. Surely nothing to compare with what you've been up to before now…"

"You could say that…"

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

As the General had said, an Atlesian shuttle shot up to meet with them less than half-an-hour later, listing around the front of their ship slowly as the pilot searched for its landing point. The pilot hesitated a heartbeat when they saw the gently shimmering shields that separated the small hangar from the open air but, after a moment, the nose tilted down and it pressed forward and into the hangar. Like a great white insect it listed to a stop and spun almost lazily, seeking a place to land while it turned its nose back towards the exit.

Luckily, with the Pelican gone, there was a spot with plenty of space already open, marked out as a landing spot.

It's engines didn't die, even as the door hissed out and then rolled to the side. Three figures stepped out, one as large and burly as Ironwood himself had been, who smiled warmly as their larger group approached.

"Specialist Clover Ebi. General Ironwood sent us to get you and escort you to meet with him." The large man explained, smiling warmly all the while and folding his arms over his chest. Waving a hand to his companions he introduced them both simply, "This is Specialist Marrow Amin, and Specialist Harriet Bree."

"Sir."

"Hi." The Faunus stammered when Bree flicked her gaze to him and grunted, quickly, "Uh, hi, Sir."

"I'm-"

"Ruby Rose." The man smiled knowingly, pointing out each of them in turn as he went on, "Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, Lie Ren, Weiss Schnee, who is _currently_ listed as missing by her father…"

"Well, I suppose you can take me off the missing persons list, then, Specialist Ebi." The Schnee sighed, sounding far more _annoyed _and, when he looked, looking far more uncaring about her father's worry for her than she should have. "I'm right here, after all."

"You also vanished without saying anything…"

"I'm an adult." She shrugged simply, smiling pleasantly as her partner stepped beside her and crossed her arms, smirking confidently. "I left for my own reasons, Specialist. And I don't owe anyone any explanations as to _why_. You _or_ my father."

"It also has _nothing_ to do with why we're here." Jaune added quietly from behind him. "We're here to do our jobs, Sir. So can we get to work on maybe _doing that_?"

"Unless you wanna shoot at us some more…"

"_That_ was a more complicated situation than you are implying, and you were warned, _and_ the General _knew_ you were more than capable of intercepting the missiles even if they were targeted for your vessel." Clover smiled all the while and didn't even seem upset by the girl's attitude, holding up a hand to count the points off simply and then shrugging. "And yeah, you're an adult, you can do what you want. Just maybe next time leave a note?"

"That way you don't waste Atlas resources looking for you…"

"Specialist Bree." The man simply saying her name had her standing straighter and nodding, sufficiently cowed. With that resolved, he turned an appraising look on the Arbiter himself, smile falling _ever_ so slightly. "Arbiter."

"Specialist." He rumbed, nodding in greeting and stepping forward, conscious of the tension in the man's two comrades. Chuckling, he said, "I can tell from the tension falling off of your allies that you know of me."

"Yeah, we do." Specialist Ebi nodded, allowing the smile to fall completely now, his face flat and hard and grave. "General Ironwood said that you'd agreed to disarm to come to Atlas to speak to him."

"I did." He nodded, spreading his arms in a display of peace. "As you can see, all I bear on my person is my armor and my blade. The latter of which your General agreed to allow me, for the purposes of the most basic self-defense."

"I know about that, too. General ironwood forwarded us a dossier on you before we came to get you." The man's eyebrows rose and he smiled, almost challengingly, "I don't suppose you mind if my men search you, then?"

"That's _not_ what-"

"I do not mind, Ruby. I have naught to hide, and so I have no reason to resist." He rumbled, lumbering another slow step forward, away from his comrades and into reach of the three Atlesians. Shrugging his cloak off he handed it to the woman, explaining, "A gift from the young Huntress."

"I'll take it." Ebi grunted, grabbing the light cloak and then grunting, shortly, "Specialists, search him. Cat-5 search protocoles."

"Yes, Sir." The two soldiers grunted, stepping to either side of him and then shoving him forward abruptly, past the other Specialist and into the armored hull of the vessel. He grunted and the Faunus murmured, "Sorry, protocol…"

"Shut it." The woman snarled, roughly running her hand along his armor and growling, "Do your job, Amin."

"It is fine." He sighed, as much for the Specialist's benefit as for the young Huntress whose silver eye she could _feel_ searing hate and indignity into the two soldiers. "Any indignity for the sake of peace."

"But-"

"Leave it, kid." Qrow growled, shuffling forward to lean against the side of the shuttle, flask in hand. Flicking a gaze to it and sighing, he stuffed it into his jacket and turned a glare on the frisking Atlesians, "They're Atlas' little hounds, fresh outta the kennel. When master says to rough someone up, they do it."

"Excuse you-"

"Shut it and don't even pretend I was talkin' about your tail, kid.' Qrow cut the Faunus off, pointing a long finer at the soldier and then flicking it between the two other Humans meaningfully. "Your dogs for what you're doin', not what you are. Fix your shit or own up to it, I don't care-"

"Branwen." The Chief snapped quietly, heavy steps sounding on the hull as he closed on the Atlesians and they let the Arbiter go. As he turned, the Spartan looked to him and then to the two soldiers, growling, "Are we done here?"

"He's clean." The woman snapped, stepping back while Ebi stepped forward, holding the clock out for him to take back.

"Sorry for the rough treatment but eh, orders are orders." The soldier said, smiling pleasantly while he pulled his cloak back on and then holding out a little circlet to him. He looked at it and then at Ebi and the man smiled, "A tracking bracelet. If you get lost, or are attacked, this will let us locate you and come to your support more easily."

"I see." He growled, refraining from taking it to ask, "And why should I wear it?"

"I can't take you to Atlas if you don't." He sighed, smiling pleasantly all the while and holding the little tracker out patiently. "It's standard procedure for all visiting dignitaries, even ones… Like _you_."

"You'd bar me?"

"Orders are orders." The man sighed jovially, shrugging, "Good soldiers follow orders. Sorry."

"Fine then." He growled, even _his_ patience starting to save by now and allowing his agitation to build. Snatching the circlet he clipped it on and waved a hand at the shuttle. "May we go now, please? I would enjoy actually getting to the matter at hand rather than all this… Time wasting."

"Of course." Specialist Ebi nodded warmly, turning to board the shuttle, "Everyone climb aboard, find a spot to stand or sit wherever you want."

"Finally…" He sighed, boarding and moving to stand at the back of the shuttle, Ruby shuffling forward to stand between him and the Atlesians at the front. Grimacing, he leaned forward to reassure her, "I'm well, Ruby. Do not let the unfortunateness of the last hour cloud your view of the next."

"I won't." She promised as the door sealed shut and the craft began to move, lifting up and listing forward. Under her breath, where even he could barely hear, she added, "I don't have an option _except_ letting it go and moving forward, after all."

"Indeed." He rumbled quietly, "Indeed."

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

**Some doozies of reviews to respond to, lol. Sorry!**

**Anyway, a 3K chapter to bridge while I recover from personal stuff. Note that all of this was **_**going**_ **to be written anyway, I just initially intended on another scene at the end. Work tomorrow, though, so can't write it then.**

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**C313st14 :**_

**That's a lotta spoilers~ XD**

_**Zenith Tempest :**_

**It being 'established doctrine' is meaningless. This doctrine was established for a host of reasons but none bear **_**here**_**. Even Thel states he would have intervened had Ruby **_**not**_**. The Spartans aren't diplomats, that they can't engage well with non-Spartans is literally part of their collective psychosis.**

**As with canon, being older or 'the authority' is irrelevant. Ironwood is both in V7 and look how badly he handled all THAT. Oz is another example of 'the authority' not deserving respect.**

**Also as with canon, none of these characters are 'subordinates'. This story has an ensemble cast. They're all equal, down to even Roland. Which is… A **_**bitch**_ **to manage, lemme tell you, but remains the case.**

**I don't mind text blocks! XD**

_**Sleeping Moon :**_

**I **_**might**_ **look at posting this there, but probably not. I manage a lot of sites. If you like, feel free to post it and just credit me by name. I won't mind!**

_**Kpmh2001 :**_

**Yes, he was justified. But being **_**justified**_ **and being **_**wise**_ **are different matters.**

_**Fallutman111 :**_

**Yes to both! I just enjoy the former, thus its presence often, but I have and plan to write non-BMBLB or WR fics. This, for fact, isn't WR right now. And may not **_**become**_ **WR, either.**

_**Master Chief 1 :**_

**This version calls him Demon as a friendly moniker. Consider it authorial privilege. **

_**Anti-Rose (Guest) :**_

**One, Ruby is of age to fight giant monsters. She can talk back to whoever she likes, imo. Especially when they are being a wee bit daft.**

**Two, **_**yes**_**. She bucked up because they 'weren't being nice'. Ironwood was wrong and so was the Chief, the former for starting with pre-judgements and demands and opening fire rather than losing face, and the latter for considering shooting back instead of letting literally meaningless attacks go. Atlas couldn't harm the **_**Black Sun**_**, but it cold certainly harm Atlas.**

**And three, just letting the adults do what they want has worked **_**splendidly**_ **thus far in canon, hasn't it? The world on the brink, Pyrrha **_**dead**_**, Beacon **_**fallen**_**, Haven nearly joining it…**

**I mean no disrespect here, but you seem to be taking a very 'authority deserves respect for being the authority' stance and I just disagree. I hope you enjoy the story, though!**

_**Simply Christian :**_

**Ruby's logic is that Ironwood didn't investigate the incident at the Festival, he simply let it be pinned on Yang and moved on. Simply verifying medically that Mercury's legs had been broken would have thrown up red flags - even if Em used her Semblance, an X-Ray copy would still later have shown him as having cybernetic legs.**

**The 'you' was based on that logic.**

**As for Menagerie… You shall see more as we go~**

_**Danilyss :**_

**That would have been cool! But Irondaddy is just Irondaddy. Sorry!**

_**Rook435 :**_

**Yeah, I… Feel like people **_**extra**_ **expected an **_**extra**_ **twist is what happened. I was playing this one a **_**bit**_ **more straight!**


	21. An Old Friend for Some

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**Official Supporters: **_

_**Fanatical Fucking Reader, **_**ScrubLord Yoda**

_**Adeptus, **_**Private Wilger**

_**Commissioner, **_**Gib**_**,**_ **Espa Cole**

_**Settled Reader, **_**Xager the Chaos King**_****_

_**If you want to be on the Supporter list, PM me for details or join our private server for details. Hope you enjoy reading my stories, please leave me a comment to let me know if you did, or where I can improve. Link here, where able to be seen : **__** /2UZncAm**_

_**Second link here, remove ( and ) and it SHOULD work : D(i) (slash)kfhkfUb**_

_**I have a kofi account now, too, under this name for those interested.**_

_**Beta(s) : **_

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

**So I lost the notebook where I had the Menagerie scenes and details plotted out. Remembering it all as best I can but I **_**can not**_ **remember if Khali or Ilia were on Menagerie or not.**

**So, now they are.**

**Super sorry if that is a continuity error, but I can't remember and rereading the last few chapters didn't reveal it.**

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

It took just past half an hour to explain to her dad everything they'd gone through, everything she knew about. From what had happened on the farm, to the Leviathan and its death, to the Relic and what _it_ was… And to Ozpin, and what _he_ was, as hard as that conversation was. No one said anything while she spoke, or even when she had to pause to sip at the warm tea and catch her breath. The Spartans simply kept their gazes turned outward, wary and ready. And Yang sat still, leaning her chair back on the legs and propping her feet up on the table, balancing precariously.

Her father's only answer was a level, hard stare and the occasional hum when she glanced nervously at him.

"And now," she finished quietly, "we're… Trying to set up an alliance. The Arbiter and his, uh… The UNSC, they're offering to help us. Help _everyone_, and that's why we're here. To help everyone we can."

"Mhm." The large man growled, easing back in his chair and running his long fingers through his beard pensively.

"D-Dad?" She tried after he spent a minute just… Sitting there, running his fingers through his hair and thinking, eyes glass and staring off into nothing. He blinked when she said his name, turning a look on her with one brow raised. "Are you… Okay?"

"Yes." He nodded, "Why wouldn't I be?

"You… Spaced out for a second, there." Yang explained quietly, leaning forward until her chair clicked back onto the floor quietly and giving the man a worried look, "Are you _sure _you're alright?"

"I'm sure. I'm just…" He paused, searching for the words for a moment before chuckling, "I'm processing everything, I guess. Khali?"

"Same here, dear. Just letting it all sink in and… And thinking about it." The older woman murmured, sitting on the chair beside Blake, her leg bouncing anxiously. After a moment she bent over the table, head in her hands as she groaned, "Sea and tides the gods are real… Like, actually _really_ real."

"Yeah." Blake laughed, the sound short and harsh as her stomach churned uncomfortably. Scowling, she bit the inside of her cheek until she tasted copper and iron and pushed herself forward with a deep breath, "Yeah, they are, and holy shit I don't know how to even _begin_ to handle that news. But… But right now, we have other things to deal with. _Bigger_ things, that are more important right now."

"Mhm." Her father rumbled, hands working slowly in his beard as he surveyed the Spartans. "Aliens are real too, hm?"

"Do you need proof?" He asked quietly, moving on when the man's brows rose curiously, "I can have our ship AI, Roland, forward orbital images to their Scrolls for your perusal if that would-"

"That won't be necessary." He answered, cutting the Spartan off and smiling when Blake turned to him, brow furrowed in confusion. Smiling, he laid a hand on her shoulder and said, very simply, "If you say it's true, then I believe you, Blake. I _trust_ you. You're a lot of things but you aren't a liar."

"But-"

"At least not about this." Yang cut in, before she could say anything. When Blake rounded on her the brawler grinned roguishly and leaned back, hands on the back of her head, "You in on the trust game too, Missus B?"

"For my daughter?" The woman looked up, eyes misty with tears but hard regardless. Smiling firmly, she nodded, "Always."

"Guys… You..." The feeling that overwhelmed her at the absolute trust they showed her was… Hard to explain, or process, and piled onto the whole 'gods are real' _thing_ that had resurfaced almost painfully. Stuffing it down she heaved a breath and once again pushed herself through it, "Then, uh, what do we… Do, now?"

"That depends." Her father said, turning to the Spartans with hard eyes and his lips pressed into a thin, hard line. Quietly, the Chieftain of Menagerie stood and asked, lowly, "What do you need, Spartans?"

"Ammunition, to start."

"Do you use Dust?"

"No, we don't." Frederic said quickly, taking his Magnum off his waist and ejecting a round breezily. Pitching it at the Chieftain he explained while the Faunus looked it over, "But Roland can get you lists of what we need, and the manufacturing process. If you built a workshop, that _should_ supply everything we would need."

"And what do we get out of it?"

"Orbital battery support." Frederic answered, explaining when her dad's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "We have a prototype light-MAC battery that can be wherever it's needed in minutes if we burn hard through the upper atmosphere. Or hard space. We'd be willing to use it, and the _Black Sun's_ weapon complement besides, to support and protect Menagerie in exchange for your help."

"I…"

"Could you explain, please?" Khali asked simply, "We don't know what any of that means."

"They have a big fuckin' gun up in space, 'round the planet." Yang explained flippantly, idly inspecting the fingers of her prosthetic. "I've seen it take out a Leviathan, one shot. Havin' them on your side is a pretty damn good deal if they're just asking you to help make bullets for them."

"We can try." Her father answered, "But _industry_ isn't exactly our strong suit."

"It might not need to be." Blake said quietly, flicking an appraising gaze to each of her parents. "My team and the rest of… Everyone, I guess, they're headed to Atlas. To try and get _their_ help, too. If they provided the factories they'd just need raw supplies to make what we need. Or… Or manpower."

"You mean to have our people working for Atlas…"

"I know what that means, Daddy." She snapped sharply, sighing and turning an apologetic smile on him when she caught the edge to her own words. More gently, she said, "I know, really. But… I don't know what else to do. Vale is _chaos_ as far as I know, Mistral is still recovering from Lionheart's betrayal, and Vacuo is… Vacuo."

"Still." Her dad rumbled, "Atlas…"

"I'll liaise with Mistral." Khali volunteered immediately, "If we send them our fighters to keep the Grimm at bay, they'll recover that much quicker. And we might need their mines, depending on what your friends need, Blake."

"And if they come to the table, I'll speak to Atlas." The Chieftain promised, nodding firmly and then smiling when Blake did. "We'll get it sorted, one way or another. And hey, things can't be going that poorly for your friends up in Atlas, right?"

"Yeah," Blake smiled, "things should be going just fine."

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

The shuttle ride was short and quiet, if a bit cramped in the back of a shuttle not _quite_ meant to fit quite as many as were being forced into it. No one said anything, and his companions all pressed around him protectively, pushing the Atlesian soldiers to the fore of the ship and watching them closely. Warily. As if they expected them to, at any moment, turn and inform them they were all under arrest. AS though they would be so foolish as to attempt an arrest _in_ a shuttle, knowing how easily it could be brought down if they resisted.

Or rather, _when_ they resisted.

The Atlesians for their part ignored them all, leaning against the hull to either side of the cockpit and waiting patiently to land and get to the next part of their day's duties. Their youngest, and the only Faunus among them from what he could discern, occasionally paid him looks that were one part curiosity and one part anxiety. He knew what the Arbiter was well enough to fear him, but he didn't show it in any real way. And, when Specialist Ebi noticed the looks and laid a hand on his shoulder, he stopped looking at him at all.

Not for the first time, he considered the discipline of the Atlesians and found himself impressed. And, after a moment, pitying them.

He'd seen the dark places such discipline could go, after all…

"Hey." He blinked and straightened at the voice, and the hand on his armored thigh. Turning slightly, he looked down on the smiling Rose as she asked, "Are you okay? You looked… You spaced out, for a minute there."

"I am well enough." He rumbled, smiling and plopping a hand on her head to ruffle her hair while she flailed to escape, slipping around Jaune and using him as a shield. Chuckling unsurely, the blonde held his hands up in mock surrender and Thel laughed, "Do not think that your friend will shield you, young one."

"He will!" She cried defiantly, sticking an arm around the blonde to point at the looming Arbiter. "He's loyal, and will protect me from the aggressive hair ruffling!"

"Maybe from me." The Arbiter laughed, paying a knowing glance to Ruby's uncle, stood behind her and wringing his hands with a wide grin. "But can he guard your rear as well, child?"

"My wha- Aaah!" She spasmed forward and into her blonde friend as her uncle descended on her, tickling up her side while he laughed and she squealed. After a moment, Nora muscled her way past Ren and Jaune both to join him, attacking her front while her uncle savaged her back. Finally, flailing, she dissolved into petals to escape, swarming around the lot of them to hide behind her partner, closer to the watching Atlesians, and call out, "I give, I give! You guys win!"

"Hey!" Their large, dark skinned pilot called out warningly, turning in her seat to roll a glare over all of them. And, of course, lingering on him. "No debris leaving transformative based Semblances while we're flying! Do you _want_ to crash?!"

"Sorry!" Ruby, Qrow and Nora all called out at the same time, with not even the _least_ bit of regret in their voices.

"Not yet you-"

"We're going to be landing in just over a minute." The other, smaller pilot said quietly, cutting off the large woman and paying her a small look. Whatever was communicated through it she rolled her eyes and focused on her controls. While she did that he added, quietly, "I suggest you all brace, if you don't fly often. Landing can be rather jarring sometimes, and we would hate for someone to fall."

"Unless it was Thel…" He heard Nora grumbled quietly, slipping past him to plop into a seat beside her partner without another word.

If anyone heard her, they didn't say anything, and instead Specialist Ebi spoke up, "We'll be landing at a small secure holding bay near Atlas Academy, and heading straight to mee the General himself. Stick close, don't say anything, don't _touch_ anything, and there won't be any trouble."

"That doesn't sound very promising…"

"It's a secure wing, Mister Arc." Ebi answered simply, still smiling that warm, _fake_ smile with his hands on his hips. "It's mostly for classified projects and… Well, things that take a delicate touch. And also mostly kept secure by droids and Specialists. _Both_ of which _will_ arrest you if they see you without us."

"Or break you!" The large woman called over a shoulder, "Depends on who ya run into, really."

Specialist Ebi didn't say anything to counter that and instead simply smiled, "Just stick with us and everything will be fine. No worries."

"Well this is _great_." Qrow grumbled, "We're goin' in through the damn black door."

"Black door?" Ren asked, "What's that?"

"Slang for 'the place that people don't come back from' out in the Tribes of Mistral." The man explained, fishing out his flask and bouncing it in his palm. After a moment, though, he slipped it back into its place and he sighed, "Normally, you _do not_ wanna come in through the black door in any kinda place."

Yet again, Ebi didn't say anything to argue with the man, just turning back around and adding a parting, "Just stick with us and you'll be just fine."

Predictably, that filled them with very little confidence.

When they landed it wasn't at a proper, normal shuttle bay but was instead in a smaller, seemingly more _private_ one sequestered inside a fortified looking complex of sorts on the edge of the floating city. Their landing pad was the middle one, landing on a slightly raised and very clearly marked pad. To either side were pads exactly like it, albeit empty of any actual _shuttles_. The bay itself was short, just large enough to admit them and no larger, bare of most infrastructure that would be needed to _maintain them_, and so he concluded that it was a private, _secure_ drop off port instead of a waiting one.

The fact that there were _only droids_ guarding the room, lined up in small pairs all along the walls and by the only doors out, did not lend him much confidence that he wanted to know what it was used for.

"This way, please." Ebi ordered over a shoulder, turning to lead them on with the same two that had stepped out with him on the _Black Sun_.

Once they were off the platform they heard a sudden, loud pneumatic hiss and turned. As they watched, the platform lifted up an inch and rotated slowly with the shuttle on top of it. Once it had turned around, the little craft lifted up and listed forward gently, curving up to vanish around the lip of the bay's entrance. Then, as the platform spun back around, great metal plating rolled down over the opening to seal the way.

"Okay, that's… Kinda cool." Ruby admitted once the bay had been sealed up and, thankfully, the cold air had been forced aside by the room's internal heating. "Like, automatic armored doors and rotating platforms for a secret entrance into a base? Super cool."

"I'll be sure to pass the compliments along." Ebi called out, smiling warmly and waving for them to follow him. "Remember, stick close."

"Yeah." Qrow growled, giving him a look and shrugging agitatedly, "You don't want Atlas to _disappear_ you…"

"No, no I certainly do not." Thel rumbled, thinking back to his first days under his title, and the trip to the gas planet. Not for the first time he wondered if, had he known what it meant to _disappear_ the Heret- _Sesa 'Refumee_, would things be different now? Would he be alive? Would the Covenant?

With a sigh, he shook the thoughts away and followed his companions. Dwelling now would do little…

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

"They took that all pretty well, everything considered." Kelly said to him as the Faunus split away to eat dinner together, and so the two parents could get to know the blonde brawler in, as they had put it, a 'non apocalyptic setting'. "The parents seem… _Sturdy_."

"We all read the dossier." Frederic grunted, "We _know_ they're sturdy."

"Civil conflict and protests are a _bit_ different to this." Linda offered smoothly, "I'm not saying they _aren't_ tough, but…"

"It's different." Frederic agreed quietly, pacing away with his two fellow Spartans in tow.

Sighing, he turned and took a seat on the slight hill that stuck up a few dozen yards away from the manor. It was the kind that was built around big constructions, when dirt was shoved aside for the work and left there, and topped by a thick fence. Beyond it was housing, he knew from the flight in, and while the fence wouldn't do _anything_ about defence it was decent for privacy and sound blocking.

Conveniently, there was also a huge open space between the manor's closest ground and where he'd gone.

"Sit down." He said quietly, "We're being watched."

"By?"

"Several people in the building and someone else that's been close since we finished briefing the Chieftain." He answered quietly, tagging the stretch of garden, shaded by a copse of trees, he'd spotted the movement in. "So sit and look relaxed."

"We could intercept them…" Kelly suggested, taking a seat beside him on the grass and pulling her shotgun around her to look it over idly.

"Not our problem." He said quietly, watching the _faintest_ silhouette of a girl's face emerge in the shadows, darkened to a brown and green, splotchy mess that at least _mostly _matched the surrounding foliage. "There she is…"

"Ilia." Linda was the first to say her name even if Frederic was fairly confident they'd all recognized her at the same time, "From the dossier on Blake. Old friend of hers, Fang turncoat. Why's she watching us?"

"I don't-"

Suddenly, he felt the ground tremble and shot up as the dull, familiar _whump_ of an explosion reached his ears, echoing around the city dully. He and his team were on their feet inside a moment, three sets of eyes tracking towards a column of smoke drifting high into the air along the coast. A quick check from the aerial maps confirmed it _wasn't_ their Pelican, which put him slightly at ease. But… If not that, then what had exploded?

Quietly, he trailed his eyes down, to their observer.

In the wake of the explosion, she'd stepped out of the trees, a long rapier like weapon in her hand. Like them she was watching the smoke. _Un_like them, she was shaking her head slowly and backing away as if in shock. A second explosion echoed dully from near to the first and she backed away another step, weapon trembling ever so slightly.

Then, she took off towards the manor.

"Orders?"

"Follow." He grunted, "Linda, find a vantage."

"Sir."

"Understood."

Together, he and Kelly took off towards the door the Faunus had vanished through while Linda took off on her own. As they ran he quietly drew his rifle and flicked the safety off, while another dull _whump_ ripped through the coastal section of the settlement. He wasn't sure what was going on, but…

It sounded like the Chieftain could use a few Spartans on station.

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

After minutes of passing through empty halls devoid of anything but what swiftly became typical, heavy duty doors marked out by serial codes and the droids that guarded this area, they stepped through a wide door Ebi had to key open and into a less empt, and far more warmly lit to boot, hallway. Soldiers, in armor and in simpler cloth uniforms similar to what he'd seen in Argus, gave them space and eyed them curiously and fearfully - and in some cases, _hatefully_, even if he was certain the rank and file would not know what he was - as they passed through.

None of them said or did anything, though.

And so neither did they.

Finally, after minutes spent winding through the webwork of hallways, they were led down a small flight of stairs into a tall, circular room. Opposite their door was another set of stairs leading up while, to either side, hallways stretched off into backlighting that made seeing in difficult. High overhead, interestingly, was a skylight open to the air outside that showed a dazzlingly beautiful expanse of ruddy red sky. It was beautiful but, alas, also less important than those standing across from him, at the base of the other set of staircases.

There were four of them, standing in a loose circle and talking as they approached. One was Ironwood, obvious for his suit and stature. And the other was Winter, he could tell her from descriptions alone and her presence. She'd been described to him as Ironwood's closest aide, after all. The other two, one heavily armored enough to compare with the Spartan at his side and sporting an impressive cannon strapped to an equally impressive pack and the other a young Human girl with orange hair and a wide, ballooning skirt.

The former he couldn't place, but the latter seemed oddly… Familiar.

Then, as soon as they reached the halfway point of the room, the young girl turned and gave a look over her shoulder. Then, inside a heartbeat, her eyes widened and she spun on a heel, eyes wide and hands clapping excitedly. "Ruby! You're here!"

"I am… Who are-" Ruby paused and he saw her shoulders hitch as she pointed a long, thin finger at the other girl. "P-Penny?"

"You're… Alive?" Weiss murmured, the two of them both staggering forward on numb legs while their three Beacon companions exchanged shocked looks. "But… We saw you die, Penny!"

"Oh yes, that was _quite_ unfortunate, to say the very least. I didn't even get to say goodbye!" The woman answered, taking one step and then propelling herself up and into the air by what looked distinctly like rockets in her _boots_. She landed with a dull thud and wasted little time wrapping her arms around Weiss and Ruby both, hefting them up in a bone crushing hug while they both wheezed and flailed weakly. Setting them down and smiling wider, she said, "Once my memory core was returned to Atlas my Father built me a brand new chassis and installed it."

"So you're… You?" Ruby asked, voice cracking, "I saw you die, but… You're okay?"

"I am mostly intact, yes!" The girl smiled, "Unfortunately, five point two three percent of my memory was lost. Corrupted by the power surges that occurred when I…" The girl trailed off and then frowned, hands balling into fists and then uncurling quickly, "All of my memories of you are intact, however. I saved them to my armored deep-drive!"

"In direct contradiction of protocol." Winter said as she stalked forward, flanked by the heavily armored soldier and with Ironwood just ahead of her. Stepping past him she laid a hand on her sister and tugged her aside, appraising her quickly, "You… Seem well."

"I am, Sister." Weiss seemed to pause, for a moment, before slipping into the older Schnee's grip and wrapping her arms around her. Predictably, and amusingly, Winter froze until Weiss murmured, "I missed you so much…"

"I… Missed you too." Winter smiled, returning the hug after a moment and sighing. "And damn you for disappearing like that, too, you… Dolt!"

"Heh." Ruby chuckled quietly, smiling softly and letting Penny hold her in her arms, her head leaning on the taller woman's chest comfortably. Penny, for her part, simply beamed a smile in every direction, more than happy with the arrangement. "I guess the Dolt runs in the family."

"Penny, Winter, you have duties to attend to." Ironwood cut in with a tired but nonetheless somewhat warm chuckle. The two straightened, gently pushing away their literal hangers on, and the man added, "See to them and you can take the next day off to reacquaint yourselves. Until then, I have business with Mister Arc, Miss Rose, the Spartan, and the _Elite._"

"Uh, why us, specifically?" Jaune asked, "We should all be there for this."

"Yeah!" Nora added forcefully, "We're not splitting up."

"I just wanted to let you get some rest while your leaders spoke with me." Ironwood said through a sigh as the two women left to see to their orders. "I had dorms and food set aside for the lot of you. The sooner you're registered in our system the sooner you don't have to be escorted, too."

"Still, I don't think we should-"

"I think that we should do as General Ironwood wishes." Thel finally said, turning a warm smile on his friends and explaining quietly, but surely so that they would not seek to argue with him, "This _is_ his place, his Keep in a fashion, after all. It would do well to trust him and obey him while we are within it."

"But-"

"And if we want him to trust us in spite of the _complications_ abounding," he added, before Ruby could argue, "we ought offer the barest scrap of our own. As with other matters no doubt to be discussed presently, I will trust your decisions on what to do. But I have offered my opinion on the matter."

"...Alright, then." Ruby sighed, "Guys, we'll catch up later. Me and Jaune-"

"Jaune and I." Weiss corrected automatically, adding a sheepish, "Sorry."

"...Jaune and I will talk to Ironwood and… Ya know, everyone else, and we'll catch up later." Ruby smiled, shoving her partner playfully towards the other duo that was leaving. "Get our dorms RWBY ready, and save me some sweets, 'kay?"

"They… Should already be ready."

"They might be." Ruby smiled, "But they aren't _RWBY_ ready. S'a big difference, there."

"Alright then?"

"I'll make sure everything is suitably out of order." Weiss chuckled, rolling her eyes and turning to the other two in clear question.

"I don't think-"

"Jaune?" Ren interrupted, laying a hand on Nora's shoulder that had her calm down and lean into it, trusting her partner's opinion even if she didn't trust Ruby's or Thel's. After a long moment, the blonde just sighed and nodded, and Ren returned the gesture. "Come on, Nora. We'll see if they have pancake supplies in the kitchen, too."

"...Fine." She finally surrendered, "But only because I love your pancakes."

"Clover." Ironwood grunted, "Show them the way."

"Sir."

With the Ace Ops escorting them, they left, leaving him and the Humans alone together. When they were gone from view, the five of them remaining turned to Ironwood and his armored companion expectantly and Ruby took the fore, her Uncle standing behind her in an obvious show of support.

"So." Ruby started anxiously, "Who talks first? Do I talk first or do you talk first? I've, uh, never done this kinda thing before. I mean I _have_, I guess, kinda sorta. But, like, not to this extent so-"

"I think the best start is with an introduction." Ironwood said, smiling helpfully for the girl's benefit and then turning to him and his Spartan companion. "And an explanation for you two, as well. Specialist Adel, introduce yourself, as discussed."

"Yes, General." Quietly, the white and grey armored juggernaut reached up, taking his helmet in both hands and snapping it to the side gently. When he tugged it free Thel saw the Master Chief _flinch_, his shoulders going straight and helmet lifting just a hair. Resting the helmet on his hip with his hand on top of it the man slid into a comfortable attention stance, "Lieutenant Jorge Adel, Atlesian Special Forces. Formerly, United Nations Space Command specialist infantry, serial designation J-S-052-N5, stationed on Reach."

"Jorge…" The Demon's voice was barely more than a whisper, the step he took barely more than a particularly ordered stumble. After a breathless moment the man said, "John, United Nations Space Command special forces, serial designation J-S-0117-B1, ONI special rescue advisory assignment aboard the UNSC _Black Sun_. RD, Master Chief, Petty Officer."

"John…" Jorge rumbled, "Jó látni a családot. I thought I would never see anyone like me again."

"Nem gondoltam volna, hogy bárki más itt lehet a Reach-ből." The Demon said quietly, "You look older than I'd expect… And Adel?"

"Right, uh, that." The Spartan laughed, suddenly off put a bit and flushing embarrassedly. "Well, when I woke up in Vacuo, I, uh… Didn't think I could get home. Eventually met a lass, _had_ a lass, but we can get into that later."

"Later." Chief nodded, "You enlisted with Atlas?"

"They saved me when I got here." He answered simply, paying the General an asking look. The officer nodded and Jorge turned back, explaining, "When I blew that Covvie ship, I woke up here, fallin' through the atmosphere. Don't know how I survived, but I braced and survived impact. Then the Grimm came, but an Atlas patrol pulled my ass outta the sand before they could get to me, a gazemberek."

"He explained everything that had happened to us." Ironwood filled in, turning a hard glare on Thel. While Jorge laid a hand on the sidearm on his thigh Ironwood added, coldly, "Everything about your war… What your kind did to mine. Is probably still doing."

"Uh oh…" Ruby murmured as he stepped back, sliding in front of him and shooting the Master Chief a look. "Could you, uh, intervene before something happens?"

"It's a long story." The Demon said simply, "But I don't mind telling it to a Spar- To family."

"Just tell me this." Jorge grunted, "Is that split-lipped bastard a friendly? You vouch for him?"

"I do." John nodded, "And he is."

"...Fene egye meg." Jorge sighed, turning to Ironwood. "Then let's head into the office, if you don't mind, Sir. We have some briefing to get through, sounds like. But you," Jorge grunted, pointing a finger at Thel, "stay in front of me, until I hear it. I don't trust you."

"As you say, Spartan." He rumbled, stepping by his comrades and to the Spartan's side. To the general he said, "I believe you will need to open the door, though. If you don't mind."

Quietly, apprehensively, General Ironwood nodded and stepped by, leading the lot of them up the stairs and into a wide, spacious office.

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**My Beta :**_ **Uh oh…**

_**Me :**_ **Giant ass reviews to respond to?**

_**My Beta :**_ **Yep.**

_**Me :**_ **Several of 'em? Probably can't answer it all satisfactorily?**

_**My Beta :**_ **Yeeep.**

_**Me :**_ **...Bring it on.**

_**XxX-XxX-XxX**_

_**Dasgun :**_

_**Qazse :**_

**Oh I agree with you! Clover and co, however, **_**do not**_**.**

_**Green the Ryno :**_

**Nope! Just good ole autocratic loyalty!**

_**Steelrain :**_

**I dunno what character was the 'butt of a joke'... But the Ace Ops are actually pretty well certified badasses. I mean, they're also jackbooted thugs, total fascists, and walking demonstrations of authoritarianism. But they're tough, as long as they have the leg up.**

_**Razmire :**_

_**G119 :**_

**Yeah, working that out has been the best part of this story. Just… Getting the chemistry juuuuuust right.**

_**The Bear With Hands (Guest) :**_

**I have a standard rotation I work through. Now, I work through it around doing commissioned works. So apologies, but delays will be… **_**Severe**_ **in some cases. As I improve in my situation, and in my ability to work on my new schedule, chapters will come out more and more reliably.**

_**The Woven Mantis :**_

**My perspective is rather simple. Excluding those who consent otherwise - and THAT is a big problem on its own - anyone that agrees to take action without knowledge is being immorally used. Further, there are cases where Ozpin just **_**doesn't bother**_ **offering a chance to consent in any way.**

**Sure, Oz has reasons for what he does.**

**That doesn't make it any less immoral, though. It just explains it. Enforcing population limits due to mass shortages that can't and won't be resolved would be EXPLAINED… But also immoral.**

**If you get my drift there.**

_**Potterheads :**_

**Glad to have impressed!**

_**KPMH2001 :**_

**Doozy incoming here but here we go~**

**And as always, total respect on offer, just responding from my standpoint. Also, lettered by order of paragraph you posted for convenience-**

**A)**

**What you say is rational and reasonable. Unfortunately, Humans - and Faunus, lel - aren't rational creatures. When stress runs high and everyone knows they could die at any moment, they look for ways to destress. They get desperate. Latch onto people, looking for fulfillment before they get themselves killed. Not having at least SOME characters doing that when they feel like it's down time, as in they aren't actively doing anything right then that would be more important, would… Rob them of their Humanity, in my opinion.**

**B)**

**The back and forth that happened on the ship is **_**meant**_ **to be very clearly not clear. Chief had solid reasoning behind his decisions. So did James. So did Ruby. They all just did their best to get through the situation. No one was **_**right**_**, per se. Rather, they chose Ruby's path together and that **_**made**_ **it right. Apologies if that's confusing at all.**

**C)**

**I would respond but… The bracelet's details are **_**plot**_**.**

**D)**

**You're right. Ironwood lost so much in Beacon's fall. The show demonstrates the scars of that well, and I am pantomiming his behaviors here. However, instead of Ironwood directing it **_**outward**_ **with RWBY behind him, RWBY itself was the target from the onset. That is the change I made from canon in how he acts, to show it off.**

**F)**

**In RWBY - and this story - adults aren't idiots or anything of the sort. They're just **_**fallible**_**, like they should be. Some Adults, as you named a few and including others, are right often. Others aren't. It comes and goes, varies with what is happening. **_**Everyone**_ **in this show, and my story, makes mistakes. Everyone is wrong sometimes, and everyone is right sometimes.**

**Cordovin is a great example of that. In my story the moment it came down to it, she gave her life doing what was right. She put her trust in people… And that trust got her killed, but also saved her city. Right and wrong. **_**Human**_**.**

**Also, most of the cast right now - excluding Oscar and very slightly Ruby herself - **_**are**_ **adults. Don't view this story or the show as 'kids are always right, adults aren't.' Rather, it's adults pushing against each other's ideas until one is vindicated.**

**Long winded but hope that explains my approach and gives you food for thought!**

_**Simply Christian :**_

**Another doozie, I love it… Here we go~**

**A)**

**That was my point. Ironwood **_**didn't**_ **do any checking into things. Knowing Beacon had been infiltrated, he just let this clearly anomalous thing go without so much as a word. A simple look into things would have shown Mercury not checking into a hospital to get treated, or the missing medical staff Cinder and co must have killed or robbed to get their uniforms and credentials - and, you know, the missing **_**ambulance**_ **that would have been on record.**

**Ironwood didn't bother and **_**that mistake**_ **is what Ruby used to make him pause. He didn't pause last time when they said something, and look what happened. So pause and vett it now, before you make that mistake again. Thus, the logic.**

**B)**

**Sorry for the wait!**

**C)**

_**That**_ **is entirely interpretation and opinion. Marines, the most prolific ground force in the games at the least, are based on US Marines. In the US military, the word 'warrior' is used often. For instance, in some cases when a soldier is wounded they can be sent to what was once, if it isn't still, called 'Warrior Transition Units'.**

**Further, it is shown that early on the Spartans were educated on the ancient Greeks. And **_**they were**_ **called Warriors, including the ones the Spartans take their name from. So, to my mind, being called 'warrior' wouldn't be an insult.**

**Meanwhile, if you call a Marine a 'Soldier' you might get decked. It's all just preference, tradition, and opinion. I'm just writing my own interpretations, and hope I've explained it well enough.**

**Also sorry, the whole 'Marine, Soldier, Airman' kinda thing is super interesting, thus the longer response.**

**D)**

**Humans are hypocrites! I am, Qrow is, and no offense but if we spent enough time I'm sure we'd catch you on something, too. S'just how we are. So yeah, Qrow was being a bit hypocritical there. But that's just him being Human.**


End file.
